The Last Song
by Tibbsgirl
Summary: Former classmates and friends, Diana and Akko, reunite after eight years apart as both are facing tough times in their lives. Little did they know that life would become so much brighter with the other in their lives as they guide each other through the darkness that has consumed them. (Music/Band AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_The Unexpected_

"...iana..."

Diana slowly became conscious, her eyes heavy and refusing to open as she struggled to comprehend the distant voices shouting at her.

"...Diana..."

Who was that shouting? Whoever it was they seemed to be closer than they were before, their voices becoming less muffled. Suddenly Diana's head throbbed painfully as she was conscious enough now to feel the coolness of the hardwood floor against her back and head. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she tried to remember what had happened through the pain. Where was she? The blonde's eyes fluttered open before being assaulted with the bright lights shining from the ceiling until a figure leaned over her, shielding her eyes from the offending glow. Diana's eyes began to finally come into focus and she finally recognized the figure above her, the owner of the voice she had heard earlier.

"Oh my god, Diana! Are you okay?" Hannah stared down at her fallen friend with concern before turning to the other frozen figure in the room. "Barbara, call an ambulance!"

Barbara nodded quickly and turned to leave just as Diana was able to remember how to speak again.

"Wait," she croaked out quietly before clearing her throat. "Wait. I'm..." The blonde slowly sat up, clutching her head as the pain throbbed even more violently at the action. "I'm fine, really. There's no need for an ambulance."

"Diana, you hit your head pretty hard," Hannah said as she inspected the other girl's head, one hand on Diana's back to offer some support before she leaned in and whispered, "and your condition-"

"Hannah," the blonde said weakly, cutting her friend off as she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes tightly. Suddenly, she became dizzy and began to slump to the side before being caught by Barbara, who had appeared at her side seemingly out of nowhere.

"Okay, we need to get her to the hospital," Hannah stated firmly, leaving no room for any protests. "Barb, get your car and pull up to the front doors. And tell Croix to get in here, I'll need her help."

Barbara hesitated for a split second, concern etched into her expression before finally relenting and slowly released Diana's arm.

"Yeah, okay." Barbara mumbled weakly as she stood up and exited the room quickly.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no." The blonde began to panic as she struggled to pry her arm away from her friend's grasp.

"Diana?" Hannah looked at Diana quizzically for a moment before following her gaze to an object on the floor. Or, more accurately, many objects. The pristine violin that the blonde had been holding when she fell had broken into many pieces, scattering every which way across the slick hardwood floor. Hannah let go of a distressed Diana and watched as she shakily began to pick up the wooden scraps. "Diana you need to calm down. Barb and I will clean it up later."

"No!" The blonde's voice cracked as she looked down at the scraps in her hand and sat back on her heels. "No," she said more quietly as the tears she was trying so hard to hold back began to stream down her face. "My mother gave this to me when I was a child. I've had it for so long. And now it's...it's..." Diana breathing became shallow as her whole body began to shake.

Hannah moved closer immediately and wrapped the blonde up in a tight hug, allowing Diana to grasp onto her shirt tightly as her sobs increased.

"I'm sorry, Diana," the auburn haired girl said quietly as she rubbed circles into the blonde's back. "I know how important it was to you."

"What happened?"

Both girls jumped and turned their heads quickly to see Croix Merides standing in the doorway. The music producer was breathing heavily, most likely having run across the whole building to get there. The woman hurried over and knelt down beside Diana and began to check her over as Hannah had done earlier.

"Are you okay?"

"We need to get her to Barbara's car," Hannah stated before the blonde could answer and pulled one of Diana's arms over her shoulder. "Get the other side."

"Right," Croix responded as she mirrored the auburn haired girl's actions.

Diana let the wooden scraps fell weakly out of her hand as she was lifted to her feet. The world around her spun as she struggled to gain any kind of footing but failed, now having to lean heavily on Croix and Hannah as they began to move forward carefully. Later she would admit that she didn't remember being half carried out of the room and down the hallway toward the front doors. Her mind was running out of control, not being able to focus on one specific thing at the moment. That, coupled with the pounding of her head, led to a loss of consciousness at some point during the hasty drive to the hospital. The last thing she remembered was Hannah shaking her and calling out her name, but her exhaustion got the better of her as she slipped away into a deep sleep.

When she woke up she found herself in a hospital bed, surrounded by a sterile white environment and silence, save for the beeping monitor a few feet away. After her eyes focused enough to make out the small room, she turned her head to the side to find Hannah and Barbara sitting in some chairs only feet away. The raven-haired girl was staring absentmindedly out of a large window while the auburn-haired girl stared down at her phone, typing furiously. Diana shifted a bit in her bed to get more comfortable, causing the two girls to turn to the bed quickly.

"Diana!" Barbara jumped up and hurried over to the bed, Hannah following right behind her. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she gently took the blonde's hand.

Hannah pushed the nurses button and settled herself on the bed next to Diana's leg as the blonde seemed to be struggling to adjust to her surroundings. They waited patiently until Diana finally cleared her throat and turned her head to look at the ceiling.

"I feel fine, girls, thank you," the blonde said weakly as she closed her eyes again, giving in to the heavy eyelids that were making it difficult to keep open before she let out a long sigh.

The door opened and a young nurse made her way in before stopping in surprise when Diana's eyes opened and looked at her.

"Ms. Cavendish! So happy to see that you're awake." The woman smiled warmly at the blonde and moved to the monitors with a clipboard in hand. "Your vitals seem to be doing well. How are you feeling?" the nurse inquired as she wrote hastily on the clipboard.

"I feel fine. A little light headed," Diana mumbled before the nurse turned to her and smiled again.

"A perfectly normal side effect of the medication we administered, but I'm glad to hear you're feeling better."

The door opened once more and a tall, lanky man dressed in his issued white doctor's coat and black slacks entered. The older doctor grinned at Diana, a sparkle in his eye as if seeing an old friend.

"Hello, Diana. It's good to see you again. Although I wish it were under better circumstances." His smiled turned sad as the nurse handed him the clipboard she had been making notes on.

"Hello, Dr. Turner," the blonde replied quietly, watching the doctor intently as he dismissed the nurse and reviewed her charts. The man sighed and looked up once more, his eyes falling on Hannah and Barbara, who were waiting with bated breath for the doctor to speak.

"Ladies, if you could give us a moment alone-"

"No." Diana cut the doctor off immediately, raising her hand up in front if herself to signal the man to stop that thought. "I want them here with me. Please."

"I see." Dr. Turner's eyes flitted between three once more and he hesitantly continued. "Very well."

The man pulled up a chair beside Diana's bed and flipped to the second page of her chart before clearing his throat. "You seemed to have received quite the concussion when you fell earlier. Luckily it wasn't severe enough to be too worried about." He smiled once again, although this time it seemed somewhat forced. "What we really need to discuss is why you fainted in the first place. It seems..." Dr. Turner cleared his throat again as if he was buying time to figure out exactly how to say what was coming next. "It seems the treatments have stopped working."

Diana's blood ran cold and she froze in shock, the two girls beside her involuntarily letting out quiet gasps at the news. She stared, unblinking, at the man as her jaw tensed and her grip on Barbara's hand tightened as the doctor continued.

"I'm afraid there's not much that can be done at this point, Diana. I know-"

"How long?" The blonde cut the doctor off once again, only managing to speak just louder than a whisper as her emotions swirled around like a whirlwind inside her mind. She swallowed hard as she waited for the surprise to disappear from the man's face.

"Diana, I-"

"How long?" Diana asked again, a little more forcefully this time, her breath becoming more shallow as the panic flared inside of her at the hesitance of her doctor.

"Months, a year at the most. We can't say for sure until we find out how you progress without the treatments. I'm truly sorry, Diana." Dr. Turner watched his patient's reaction carefully after relaying the bad news. He'd no doubt seen his fair share of reactions to this kind of information throughout his career, but he seemed genuinely surprised when this particular patient made no reaction at all. She stared at him as if he had just told her about the weather rather than telling her she would pass away within a year. "Miss Cavendish?"

Diana's world had darkened around her in an instant. She stared at the older man without really seeing him as his words echoed relentlessly in her mind. 'Months, a year at the most' and 'I'm so sorry' were lyrics to a somber song stuck in her head on repeat. She had made an effort to respond, though it seemed that no part of her body was able to function in her current state. Her inevitable fate weighed down on her chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe as she clutched tighter to the objects in her hands to find something, anything to ground her panicked thoughts.

"Diana?" Barbara shakily asked, wincing from the pain of her right hand being crushed in the grasp of the blonde.

The blonde had heard her friend, but couldn't comprehend what was said. The doctor began speaking once more but he could have been speaking another language for all that Diana knew, because she heard none of it over the internal screams of fear bouncing around her skull. She was going to die. There was no stopping it, no way of delaying death's call for her.

"...the only advice I have for you is to make sure the time you have left is worth it."

These last words snapped Diana out of the fog she'd been in for the last couple minutes as her vision became clear enough again to see Dr. Turner staring back at her in worry. All she could manage was a slight nod, any words she might have had still stuck in the back of her throat as the doctor stood up.

"I'll see you back here next week then.

The man turned and made his way quickly out of the room.

Diana didn't respond as she stared at the door Dr. Turner disappeared through. The room fell into awkward silence. She could feel her friend's eyes on her. Watching, waiting, as if she was a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment. Little did they know that she was the exact opposite at the moment. She was numb. She probably should be crying right now, screaming, cursing God for letting it turn out this way, but she felt nothing. She felt empty, exhausted, and alone. She was going to die alone.

"Diana," Hannah gasped quietly, making the blonde turn to look at her friends for the first time since the doctor had delivered the bad news. Both girls had tears streaming down their faces as they failed to hold back quiet sobs.

Diana blinked a few times, finally taking in the distress of her friends before sitting up and bringing both girls in for a tight hug, letting them cry into her shoulders as she rubbed their backs for comfort.

"This can't be real," Barbara croaked out between sobs as she clutched the side of Diana's hospital gown a little tighter.

"Girls," the blonde spoke for the first time since the news and it proved to be her downfall as tears quickly began pooling in the corners of her eyes. "Girls." Her voice cracked as the dam finally broke and the pools flooded over onto her cheeks as she began to sob. "I love you."

* * *

The sun shone brightly through the window, blinding rays of light washing over Akko Kagari's face as she woke slowly. Her eyes fluttered open only to shut immediately when they were assaulted by the sun. She turned over and buried her face into her plush pillow and groaned.

Her head pounded from yet another night of drowning herself in alcohol in order to forget what a wreck her life had become. A temporary escape from the memories she'd give anything to permanently forget, but for a couple of glorious hours she could be free from the guilt and pain that plagued her every minute of every day. Unfortunately the morning came and she had a new list of problems to deal with, like the sudden nausea building within her.

"Shit," she hissed as she struggled to untangle herself from her blankets. She nearly fell out of bed as she finally freed herself and ran quickly to the bathroom, making it with less than a second to spare as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl, again and again until there was nothing left. She took a few labored breaths before putting her forehead on the cool seat and squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel a tear roll halfway down her cheek before falling and splattering on the floor as her muscles finally began to relax.

Suddenly, there came a soft knock on the door, making the Japanese girl jump.

"Akko? Are you okay?"

In her half asleep and sickened state, Akko had completely forgotten that she had brought someone home the night before, or earlier that morning to be more accurate. That's right. She had called Avery at the bar when she started feeling a bit lonely with the people she was hanging out with, and of course Avery came, because she always did. She was never one to turn Akko down for a good time and never expected anything more, and the brunette appreciated that. After Andrew, even the thought of a relationship sent her running the other way as fast as she could. Akko sat back on her heels and grabbed some toilet paper to wipe her mouth with before replying.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the Japanese girl croaked out, throat still burning from the acid she had rid herself of earlier. "I'm gonna take a shower, Ave."

"Okay...I'll make us some coffee," Avery called out, voice unsure, before Akko heard her footsteps slowly disappeared out of the bedroom.

The brunette sighed and shakily stood up, just now noticing that she was still completely naked from the night before, the cool air sending a shiver up the spine of her sweating body. She quickly turned the water on in the shower, letting it turn scolding hot just like she liked it, before stepping in and letting the water wash over her head and body. Akko watched the water run down her arms to her hands until finally rushing off of each finger as if she was in a trance. She was so tired of this, so tired of the drinking, tired of always being surrounded by people but feeling so lonely. She was tired of this life.

After absentmindedly washing her hair and her body she turned off the water and stepped out, dried herself off and made her way out of the bathroom and into her large walk in closet full of clothes she never wore. She shrugged on a clean t-shirt and shorts and found Avery in kitchen drinking some coffee at the counter, turning the pages of a book that seemed oddly familiar. Akko furrowed her brows as she walked by and poured herself a cup of coffee before joining her friend at the counter. She rested her elbows on the cold surface and buried her face in her hands, letting out a pained groan at the still persistent aching in her head.

"You never learn, do you, Akko?" Avery mumbled as she slid a bottle of pills and a glass of water in Akko's direction without looking away from the book.

"Fuck off," the brunette grumbled as she opened the bottle and swallowed more pills than was necessary.

Avery chuckled and turned another page while taking a sip from her coffee.

"Damn, she's hot." The purple haired girl leaned forward to get a better look at the page.

"Eh?" Akko put her mug down and leaned over. "What are you..." Her eyes widened when she made out two figures standing happily together in one of the photos on the page. "Are you looking at my school photo album?" Her voice went up an octave as she tried to swipe the object away from Avery, but failed miraculously before almost falling off her chair. "Averyyyyy!"

"Akko, I almost didn't recognize you without the tattoos. Or without drink in your hand."

"Give. It," Akko growled as she attempted to take it away again.

"Okay, okay." Avery put her hand up, putting a halt to the brunette's efforts. "I'll give it to you if you tell me who tall, blonde and gorgeous is." She put down the book in front of Akko and pointed at the girl standing next to the Japanese girl in the picture.

Akko stared down at the girl, the bright blue of her eyes popping off of the page as if it were the only color in a sea of gray. Those beautiful eyes she had lost herself in so many times when no one else was looking. If only she had realized what it was she felt before…

"Diana Cavendish." The brunette sighed and rubbed her forehead before sliding the book back toward Avery, who looked back at her with a tilted head and a curious expression.

"Ex-girlfriend?"

"Ex-friend."

"Mm." Avery nodded slowly before turning the page. "You sure? Because look at the way she's looking at you here." The girl pointed to another picture of Diana watching Akko play her guitar, an adoring smile on the blonde's face as the brunette stuck her tongue out in concentration.

"I've looked at them a million damn times, Avery, I know how she looked at me," Akko snapped back before she could think about what she was saying. Avery leaned away from her, startled at the harsh tone before the brunette rubbed her eyes in frustration. "I know that now," she said a little more quietly. "I didn't back then."

The purple haired girl stared at her distressed friend for a long moment before bringing her mug to her lips to finish the last of the lukewarm liquid. She stood up and walked toward the front door to grab her jacket off of the coat rack before turning around again with a slight smile on her face.

"Better late than never, Akko." Avery winked before opening the door and walking over the threshold. "Thanks for the good time," she sung over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

Akko was left in the silence of her large apartment, left in haze with those last words that had made their way past Avery lips as she stared down at photo of what once had been a budding friendship. She sighed to herself and turned to the next page, revealing a new set of pictures of the start of her second year mostly comprised of her small group of friends who had become her band after they all graduated. Her former band and former friends. It seemed to be a trend in her life that she lost everything she cared about because of her selfishness. With a huff she turned the page once more, and then again and again until one photo in particular caught her eye.

Akko stood in the middle of Diana and Andrew in front of the orchestra hall after Andrew and Diana's performance. The boy had his arm around the brunette's shoulders and Akko with her arm around the blonde's shoulders. Andrew and Akko, the happy new couple, looked radiant as they leaned close to each other and smiled brightly back at the camera. But the brunette wasn't focused on herself or her ex-boyfriend, rather her eyes scanned Diana, looking so uncomfortable and withdrawn as she hugged herself, attempting to keep herself together as she fell apart right in front of Akko's eyes. Being as blind as she was, the brunette had no idea why. She had blamed Diana on their fall out, told her she was too jealous, that she was trying to control Akko's life when all the blonde was trying to do was to hold on to the brunette, to keep Akko in her life as she drifted further and further out of the blonde's reach until there was nothing left to hold on to at all.

There was a reason Akko never traveled back to the memories of her past and this was why. Her heart ached as she stared at the last photo that her and Diana were ever together in, a sudden yearning to see that girl again overcame her as she slid her fingers down the photograph. She had wanted to get away for so long, to leave this place and never look back but she had nowhere to go until now. Now, she finally had reason to move forward from this life and leave everything behind. She's was going to see Diana Cavendish.

"Better late than never."

* * *

Diana walked tiredly down the hall of her building, passing offices and large and small recording studios. This used to be home to her. The atmosphere, the colors, even the smell used to comfort her like not even her own apartment could. Ever since she could remember, her mother would bring her here after hours of begging just so she could listen to the music echoing from the very rooms she was now passing without a second thought. It was all so magical to her younger self as she practiced for hours on end on her very expensive violin until her fingers bled to be able to record her own music, to be able to cement her own name into the industry her mother had been such a prominent figure in. But now she was empty, a fragile shell of the ambitious girl she once was.

Her dreams, ambitions, and hopes slowly began to disappear when she was diagnosed with her sickness. At first she thought she could beat it. She was Diana Cavendish, after all. She thought she was strong, thought she could handle anything life threw at her until it wasn't life she was battling with anymore. It was death. Now every step forward took so much effort. Every breath she breathed brought her closer and closer to her inevitable fate. What was the point to all of this? Why was she walking down this hall toward her office like anything she did now would matter?

"_Make sure the time you have left is worth it." _That's what her doctor had told her. But how could she make her time worth it? How indeed. She had never been one to indulge, had never been one to choose her social life over her work. What could she possibly do to make her time worth it?

Diana had been lost in her thoughts for so long that she hadn't noticed she'd arrived at her office door and was now just staring absentmindedly at the door knob. She let out a long sigh and began to reach for the door knob but paused when she noticed that the door was already open just a crack. Had she left he office open yesterday? No, that couldn't be right. Hesitantly, she pushed the door open, peeking in cautiously as she had no idea what to expect. But what she saw, or rather, who she saw was the last person she'd ever expect to see again. Her eyes narrowed at the figure sitting in _her_ chair, at _her_ desk, in _her_ office. The infuriating person was balancing a cup full of pencils and pens on her head as she spun around like a child in her plush chair. If Diana were not in the mood she was now, she would have found the childish display somewhat adorable. But this was not the time.

And this was Akko Kagari.

The one girl that managed to bring Diana to wits end in record time when they attended Luna Nova music academy together. And the one girl, she hated to admit, that made her feel things she never had before, the girl that enlightened Diana on the true meaning of head over heels. Although her crush lasted quite a while, she would never have the chance to voice those feelings when Akko began to date Andrew in their second year. She watched their relationship bloom from the sidelines, watched Akko smile adoringly at him as the pair intertwined their fingers while they walked down the halls together between classes. And she hated it. She hated Andrew for having the courage to do something she could not. Not that the brunette would have reciprocated her feelings because she doubted Akko would ever look at any girl that way.

"Oh, shit!"

Diana jumped at the sudden shout and the sound of the metal cup clanging floor along with the scattering of various pens and pencils. Akko stared wide eyed back at her with her hand over her heart and breathed heavily.

"Diana, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Classy as always, Atsuko." Diana rolled her eyes and sighed before arching her brow as she watched Akko frantically gather the scattered objects on the floor around the desk.

"Hey, how many times have I told you to call me Akko?" Akko's head slowly appeared above the desk, ruby red eyes narrowed playfully at the blonde woman.

For a split second, Diana was seventeen again in the midst of her usual playful banter with the Japanese girl. While they were complete opposites, and were more likely to irritate one another than to be friendly, they had been somewhat close at one point during their academy years. Although Akko was now older, and god she was even more beautiful, the clumsy and goofy personality she'd found so endearing in school seemed to have been left intact. An unfortunate setback for Diana's heart.

"Too many, I'm sure." The blonde bit the inside of her cheek to keep a hold on her neutral expression. To hide the fact that her heart was beating so quickly when Akko smiled at her in a way she hadn't seen in eight years.

"How is it possible you're still this stubborn, Diana?" The brunette stood up and chuckled, tilting her head as her eyes gave Diana a once over. "You haven't changed a bit."

The corners of Diana's lips turned down into a slight frown at that statement. 'If only you knew,' she internally mused.

"Everyone changes, Akko. You should know that better than anyone," the blonde said offhandedly before grimacing, instantly regretting her choice of words as Akko's smile faltered. "I didn't mean-"

"No, no. It's..." Akko looked down at nothing in particular on the desk in front of her and rubbed the back of her neck. "You're right." After a moment of silence the brunette looked up, her smile returning somewhat but the sadness still lingered in her eyes. "I guess some of us just change for the worse huh?"

"Akko..."

"Hey, it's fine. Don't worry." Akko waved Diana off and shrugged before stuffing her hands in her pockets. Making sure to avoid the blondes sympathetic gaze, she began to wander around the room to inspect all of the wall décor.

Diana watched the brunette for a moment as an awkward silence washed over the small room. Not quite knowing what to say or do, she finally closed the door and made her way around her desk to her chair. Every couple seconds her eyes would lift to find Akko as she waited for her computer to turn on.

If one didn't know just who Akko was when passing her on the street, you wouldn't think she was a former rock star by the way she dressed. She stood there in her oversized red hoodie, covering the tattoos Diana knew she had from the many pictures she's seen on the internet. Not that she was keeping tabs on the Japanese girl or anything. She definitely did not have pictures of Akko on stage saved on her home computer. After the silence wore on for longer than the blonde would have liked, she knew she'd have to be the one to break it, the irritation she felt just minutes ago having been replaced by curiosity and worry.

"Akko, may I ask why you're here?" Diana sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other as she waited for an answer.

Akko froze in place for a few moments before letting out a long sigh and slumping her shoulders. Slowly she turned and sat in one of the two chairs opposite Diana before finally meeting the blonde's gaze. She stared at the blonde, expression uncertain before chewing her lip slightly as she contemplated her answer.

"I...just wanted to visit an old friend?" Akko smiled nervously at Diana, who had arched an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Let's try that again with the truth this time."

"It's true." The brunette huffed and crossed her arms. "But." She hesitated as her eyes drifted toward her lap. "The other half of the truth is that I..." Akko balled her hands into fists atop her thighs before taking a labored breath. "I needed to get away from everything. I needed a change." The last words came out so quietly that the blonde could barely hear them even in the dead silent room.

Diana's heart ached at the pain she heard in her former friend's voice. This girl sitting in front of her was not the girl she knew all those years ago like she had thought only moments prior. This wasn't the same girl who defied Diana's expectations over and over again because she believed in herself enough that anything was possible. No. She could see it now that she could look closely at the brunette's features. The girl sitting in front of her looked so tired, so lost, so… broken. This was not Akko.

"Pardon my confusion, but we were not the closest of friends, Akko. Surely someone else would be bett-"

"I only want to see you, Diana." The brunette looked up at Diana with new resolve. "I had to see you."

"Akko..." The blonde closed her eyes and sighed. "We haven't spoken in eight years. Why me?"

"I..." Akko hesitated, her mouth hanging open as she desperately searched for what to say next. What would Diana say if she told her the truth? 'I realized that all those years ago that you liked me? That I liked you? That I didn't understand my feelings back then but I do now after eight years?' No, that wouldn't work. Come on, come on, come on...wait.

"I...want to write a song with you. If… that's something you'd be interested in."

Diana's eyes shot open in surprise at the request, and also in surprise at the slight blush overtaking the brunette's face and ears. Her mouth hung open as she stared back, struggling to come up with any kind of answer. Akko wanted to write a song with her. Together.

"P-pardon?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Guilt_

"P-pardon?"

'_Oh my god why did I just say that?!'_ Akko screamed internally as she stared back at a bewildered Diana. It wasn't the worst idea she'd ever had, but she was not prepared for this. She hadn't written music in at least a year and she had just asked one of the most prestigious violinists in the world to write a song with her. What was she thinking?

"Yeah...uh...ya know, I have a guitar...you have a violin, so..." The brunette laughed nervously.

The blonde's mouth still hung open slightly, gaze never leaving Akko's as if she was searching for a hint of a joke somewhere in her eyes.

The brunette finally had a chance to _really_ look at Diana for the first time since she arrived, realizing just how beautiful the woman was. She had been beautiful at the academy, sure, but now she was absolutely gorgeous. The way her hair fell down to frame her perfect face, the way her azure eyes bore into her own as if she could see the very facets of her soul. Everything about her was a picture of perfection. Akko found purpose when she looked at Diana, which made the thought of writing a song with her a little less crazy. She could write countless songs about her beauty alone. This could be a chance for Akko to start over and rebuild what she once had... only sharing the journey with Diana would make it a hundred times better.

A confidence she hadn't felt in a very long time began to grow within her as her nervousness was steadily replaced by determination.

"Look, before you say anything, I just-"

"Diana! We have a..." Hannah burst through the door unexpectedly but stopped immediately in the doorway when she realized that Diana had been meeting with someone. "Oh, I apologize, I wasn't aware that… wait." She had started to apologize and turn around before Akko shifted in her chair to face her. Hannah's eyes narrowed at the surprised brunette. "Oh. You can't be serious."

"Well if it isn't the ginger kid." Akko smirked before rolling her eyes and turning her head back around to face Diana. "I see you still have your minions following you around."

"How dare y-" Hannah started as she took a large step forward before being stopped by the blonde.

"Hannah," Diana spoke as she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "What was it you needed to tell me?"

"Right." The auburn-haired girl made a point to glare at Akko once more before she turned back to the blonde. "Due to all of the...chaos...yesterday, it seems we have failed to postpone your session with Mr. Giordano. He's just arrived," Hannah spoke, quickly returning to her panicked tone.

"That was today?!" Diana stood up abruptly, nearly knocking her chair over in the process. "But, Hannah, my violin is gone!"

"I know! But what were we supposed to do, Diana? Tell him to fly back to Italy?"

"Gone?" Akko spoke in surprise. She was ignored by both women as Diana began to pace.

"No. We can't ask him to do that. It'll be at least a year before I..." Diana slowed down her pace to a stop, her shoulders slumping before she looked at Hannah sadly. "We need need to think of something."

"Hey, what if-" Akko began, but was immediately cut off by Hannah.

"Barb and I can call around. I'm positive we can find you a replacement."

"But-" The brunette tried again. And failed again.

"Hannah, you know I would not be happy with any replacement you could get in this short amount of time."

"Hey!" Akko raised her voice this time, startling the pair, who looked back at her with wide eyes and mouths agape. "What about that?" She pointed to the wall behind where Diana stood.

Diana turned around and stared at the object Akko was pointing at. Her mother's violin hung on the wall framed by beautifully carved wood. The exquisite instrument had gone untouched since the passing of her mother.

"Your mother's violin? Diana, would that work?" Hannah moved to stand by her friend in front of the violin.

"I...suppose it could." Diana reached out and took the instrument and ran her fingers over the wood and strings as if it were some precious artifact that would crumble underneath her touch. The violin was almost identical to her own, only slight differences in the design of the scroll at the beginning of the neck distinguishing it from the other. "Hannah, where's my bow?" The blonde gripped the instrument firmly and with a determined expression she brought her gaze up to her friend.

"It's still in studio A, where you left it yesterday." Hannah let a hint of a smile show through at the change of demeanor from the blonde. "So, you're going through with the session, then?"

"Yes." Diana gave a confident nod before walking around her desk and toward the door. "Thank you, Hannah."

"Wait!" Akko half shouted before jumping out of her chair and grabbing onto the blonde's hand before she could exit. Diana stared wide eyed at their hands before bringing her gaze up to desperate ruby red eyes.

"Yes, Akko?"

"What-what about the song? You never gave me an answer."

"Akko, I..." Diana hesitated, biting down on the inside of her cheek as she mulled over the question once again in her mind. "I don't know if I'll have time."

"Well, I mean, it doesn't have to be right away. I can wait." Akko scrunched her face up in confusion as Diana sighed and looked down at the floor before shaking her head slowly.

"That's not..." the blonde said quietly before stopping, unable to find it in her to finish the sentence as her emotional stability was dropping lower with every second she held onto Akko's hand. This wasn't the time nor place for this conversation when she had a session in which she was already tardy. "I need to go. I'm sorry." Diana tried to pull away but the brunette's grip grew tighter.

"W-what if I took you out?" Akko's desperation was clear in her voice, her eyes widening when she replayed that question over again in her mind. She panicked as Diana's perfect eyebrow arched back at her. "I mean, not uh...out out. Like, not a date or anything. Just dinner! Or lunch! Or, uh… coffee. Friends!" The brunette said a little too loudly, wincing as she noticed the exasperated pair of women in the room jump slightly at the volume. "Just friends, ya know? Eating together or… whatever. We could just… talk about the song… as friends."

"Say friends again, Akko. I don't think you made yourself clear." Hannah deadpanned, rolling her eyes hard when the brunette stuck her tongue out in her direction.

Diana stepped between them quickly before things got out of hand. The two had never really liked each other in the first place, but they were at least civil toward each other at the academy for the blonde's sake. However, right now, in uncharted waters, Diana knew they had no reason to get along. She also knew if she didn't stop this conversation from escalating, they could be here all day, as neither Akko or Hannah had an off switch when it came to throwing jabs at each other.

"Hannah, would you mind running to the studio to retrieve my bow while I..." Diana nodded ever so slightly toward the brunette and pursed her lips. Hannah narrowed her eyes for a moment before nodding and reluctantly making her way out of the office. The blonde sighed as she watched her friend go until she noticed Akko shift nervously out of the corner of her eye. She chuckled softly before fully turning toward the brunette. "I guess there _are_ things that will never change." '_Like how adorable you are_' she wanted to add, but stopped herself, opting to just flash a warm half smile.

Akko visibly relaxed, the hand still holding Diana's loosening significantly as she sheepishly returned the smile from the blonde. Unlike the uncomfortable air between them just a few minutes ago, the brunette felt a strange comfort wash over her as they stood there gazing into each other's eyes. It seemed as though just being in Diana's presence was slowly cleansing her of the pain she'd been feeling for years. She found no judgment in those beautiful blue eyes. There was no hate, nor pity. No. What she found was another chance. A chance to make things right with the one person she regret letting go the most.

"Diana, would you join me for coffee some time?" Akko asked again, this time without rambling like a complete idiot.

Diana was silent for a moment, unable to keep an adoring grin from showing through at the sight of the puppy dog eyes assaulting her willpower.

"Very well. But you really need to let go of my hand now." The blonde smirked when Akko looked down at their hands in a panic and let go immediately as if she had been burned. She chuckled once more and led the brunette out of her office before closing the door. With one last smile she passed Akko turning to walk down the hallway before the brunette called out once more.

"Wait, how do I get a hold of you?"

"You know where I work," Diana called over her shoulder with a small wave before rounding a corner and disappearing out of sight.

Akko stared down the hallway with a goofy grin on her face for a long moment before she walked the opposite way toward the front doors. It took everything she had not to start skipping along happily, because she hadn't felt this way in a very long time. Today had gone better than she ever could have hoped for.

Before Akko left, she signed out of the visitors log and returned her badge at the receptionist's desk. The girl sitting there being the one who the brunette had sweet talked to let her pass in the first place. How lucky it was that the girl had been a fan of her band. Well, a fan of her band, or just a fan of her. She could tell the receptionist had been a little too nice with the looks she had given the brunette. With a wink, she turned and began to head toward the door but stopped in her tracks when she dug her hands into her pants pockets and didn't feel her keys. She began to panic as she then checked her jacket pockets with the same results. Akko turned her gaze toward the floor, eyes searching every inch of the reception area for anything shiny, not noticing the odd look coming from the girl at the desk.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Kagari?"

"My keys. I must have dropped them somewhere," Akko mumbled as she moved closer to the desk. "I need to go back to Diana's office. Please?" She flashed a pleading smile at the girl, hoping her charm hadn't run out just yet.

"Oh. Yeah, here's your badge back." The girl's blush came back full force under the weight of Akko's smile. "But please hurry." She brought her voice down to a whisper. "You're not supposed to be walking around unattended."

"No one will even notice me, I promise," the brunette whispered back before quickly making her way back down the hall.

Unfortunately for Akko, the office door was locked when she made it back. After cursing under her breath, she looked around, hoping to see anyone who was able to let her in, but the hallways were completely empty. She sighed heavily and began walking in the direction that Diana had disappeared in, hoping maybe she'd run into her and this unbelievably stupid problem could be fixed.

She turned the corner and was relieved to find studio doors lining the left side of the corridor and Akko was sure Diana had to be in one of them. As stealthily as she could, she began opening the doors one by one, but found them empty until she opened the fourth. When the door cracked opened the sound of a beautiful piano melody flooded out into the hallway and was soon accompanied by the slow haunting chords of a violin, the two instruments complimenting each other perfectly. The brunette peeked in, first seeing a lilac haired woman sitting in the control room, hovering over the endless amount of switches and knobs. Then looking farther into the room and past a large window of glass she saw a man sitting at a large black grand piano.

At last, she saw Diana, standing in the center of the studio with her violin held up elegantly. Akko smiled wistfully as she watched the pure emotion the blonde displayed, momentarily traveling to the past when things weren't so complicated.

Back at the academy, watching Diana play was one of her favorite things to do. She could have listened to the beautiful violin all day, every day if the blonde would have allowed her to. But it seemed the blonde would grow self conscious whenever Akko would catch her practicing after their classes had ended. So the brunette had found herself in this very position more times than she could count, standing outside of a door listening to Diana's gentle ministrations. Even after their falling out. She would never admit that to the blonde, though. Akko closed her eyes and tried to rid herself of the sudden guilt she felt, just like she had so many times before. After a moment she took a deep breath as she let the relaxing melody wash over her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Akko jumped at the sudden voice behind her, nearly headbutting the head just inches away from her own. The person let out a squeak of surprise as they jumped back before they could be knocked out. The brunette turned around, eyes growing wide when she saw exactly who it was before internally groaning.

"Hannah told me you were here." Barbara smirked back at a visibly nervous Akko before her eyes moved to the door that was still open a crack, the angle she was at letting her see Diana clearly. The black-haired girl furrowed her brows and turned back to the brunette, who was avoiding eye contact at all costs. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Akko worked her jaw as she stared at a particularly interesting spot on the wall, contemplating on how to answer that question. Wondering if she really knew the answer herself. At this point she wondered if being honest with Barbara would be the best solution. '_I was completely lost and depressed and came to see Diana on a whim because I just realized how much I missed her face,_' just didn't seem like it would go over well.

"I-"

"Listen." The black haired girl cut Akko off almost immediately, "I don't really care why you're here, actually." She put a hand up, effectively shutting the brunette up. "What I do care about is Diana. Considering what happened the last time you two were in the same room, even if it was all those years ago, I hope you can understand why Hannah and I are very concerned about you showing up out of nowhere." Barbara glared at Akko in suspicion.

"I know, I get it." The brunette took a step back, holding both hands up in surrender before letting them fall to her sides in defeat as she thought back to that day, the day she had thrown away something so precious due to her selfishness.

* * *

_Eight Years Ago…_

_Akko crept into the large auditorium, trying not to be seen by the performers or disturb the rest of the audience as she found an empty seat, only having to scoot past two people to get to it. After an apologetic look to the couple, she settled into her seat and looked up at the stage, eyes immediately landing on Diana__, who sat __off to one side. Blue eyes bore into to the brunette, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat, confused at the expression on the blonde's face. Sadness__? H__urt__?__D__isappointment? Akko didn't understand. She had made it, hadn't she? Soon she would find out she in fact _hadn't _made it__,__ as the man with the microphone thanked the performers and the audience, followed by one more round of applause. The auditorium began to empty slowly as the audience either filed out the doors to the side or made their way up to the stage to praise the performers__. B__ut Akko did not move. She had missed Diana's performance, had missed her friend receiving the prestigious Luna Nova Award of Excellence, which was only given to one student a year. _

_To be frank, Akko felt like a shitty friend._

_She could feel Diana's eyes on her so she reluctantly looked up to the stage just in time to see the blonde stand up from her chair and quickly walk behind the curtain and out of view. Akko stood up quickly and ran down the aisle way before hopping easily up onto the stage__. She __followed in the direction where the blonde had disappeared._

_After asking a few people if they'd seen Diana, she found someone who had seen her walk through a door to one of the dressing rooms. Akko approached the door and stood there, hesitating for a moment before taking a few deep breaths and knocking softly._

"_Di, it's Akko. Can I come in?"_

_She heard nothing but silence. After waiting for what seemed like forever, she wondered if Diana was actually in there so she tried the doorknob. It was unlocked, so she slowly opened the door until the blonde came into sight, sitting in front of a large mirror and staring at the brunette through the reflection. The brunette paused under the intense stare for a moment before walking into the room fully and closing the door behind her. _

"_Hey__,__" Akko greeted nervously, voice barely above a whisper. When Diana didn't reply and looked away, the brunette rubbed the back of her neck and slumped. "I'm really sorry I was late."_

"_Are you really, though?" The blonde said coldly as she turned around, finally making eye contact with Akko since she had come in. _

"_Of course! Why-"_

"_Because if you were, this wouldn't keep happening!" Diana said loudly, pain evident in her tone. "You knew how important this was to me. And you..." A tear suddenly escaped and rolled down the blonde's cheek. "You don't seem to care about anyone but Andrew now."_

"_Seriously, this again?" A wave of anger flowed through Akko as she threw her hands up into the air._

"_Yes, this again." Diana stood up, mirroring the brunette's irritated tone. "You started dating that jackass and suddenly nothing else is important! Akko, you've alienated yourself from everyone who cares about you-"_

"_That's not true." The brunette seethed as she took a step closer. "You're the only one who seems to have a problem with my relationship with Andrew. What is it? Are you jealous or something?"_

"_Pardon?"_

"_Ever since I started dating Andrew you've been so clingy and desperate for attention! So what is it? Did you want Andrew for yourself? Is that what this is about? Is that why you're trying to break us up?"_

"_Akko, I wouldn't-"_

"_You know what? Save it. I'm happy, Diana. And if you can't accept that, then maybe..." Akko turned toward the door, stuffing her hands in her pockets before closing her eyes.__ "M__aybe we shouldn't be friends anymore."_

* * *

Barbara cleared her throat, pulling Akko swiftly out of her memories. With a slight shake of her head and a few blinks, she set her gaze on the impatient looking raven-haired girl as she tried to remember how to speak. The brunette tried to swallow but found her throat to be too dry. God, she needed a drink.

"My keys," Akko croaked out, finally remembering why she had come back in the first place and wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. "I think I dropped my keys in Diana's office, but it's locked."

"Oh." Barbara tilted her head slightly, confused at the change in the brunette's demeanor. "Yes, follow me."

Akko nodded and made to follow Barbara but stopped, peeking through the door just one more time to see Diana slowly drawing out one last note before the studio went silent. The blonde took a few deep breaths before finally opening her eyes, deep blue eyes that seemed to overflow with sadness. Akko closed the door slowly in an attempt to not draw any attention before she walked slowly back down the hallway after Barbara.

After grabbing her keys off of the floor of Diana's office, she watched as Barbara locked the door once more before mumbling a thank you and turning to leave, but before she could get very far, the raven-haired girl spoke up.

"Hey, Akko." Barbara fidgeted slightly with her keys as Akko turned around slowly, surprise evident on her face. "You know Han and I just want what's best for Diana. So please, whatever you do..." she trailed off, not exactly knowing how to finish.

The brunette grimaced slightly at the silent implication, but then smiled reassuringly.

"I will never hurt her again, I promise."

Akko turned to leave, missing Barbara's small smile, and walked quickly out of the building without another interruption. She finally made it to her car (with her keys this time) before unlocking it and getting in. But it took her a long moment to turn it on. "How could I have ever hurt her in the first place," she whispered to herself.

Before she felt something she hadn't in a very long time.

Inspiration.

Akko found inspiration in Diana.

Her mind ran a mile a minute as she dug her phone out of her pocket and opened her memo app before furiously typing the lyrics that had come to her. After she was done she silently stared at them, reading one line in particular over and over again.

_Please give me a chance to make this right._

* * *

"Just hear me out, Han." Barbara took a sip out of her water bottle while gesturing wildly with her other hand.

Hannah groaned and rubbed her forehead as the raven-haired girl began one of her philosophical rants about her favorite book series. Diana watched them out of the corner of her eye as she sat at her computer, a hint of a smile showing through at the sight of Hannah's annoyance at hearing about that book for what had to be the millionth time. As the blonde typed on her computer and listened to the ramblings, she couldn't keep her mind from wandering back to earlier that day and the girl that had unexpectedly come back into her life.

Diana had imagined what it would be like to see the Japanese girl again. Even really hoped for it at a lot of points throughout the years. But she didn't expect to instantly be drawn into those crimson eyes like she had, to be immediately taken by the girl's charm like she had so many times before. She could tell that Akko had been trying to hide her guilt, because even after such a long time apart, the girl still wore her heart on her sleeve no matter how hard she tried not to. But the most surprising aspect of the visit was the brunette's request.

The song.

She'd be lying if she said the prospect of writing a song with Akko didn't intrigue her. It would be an odd collaboration, sure, but ever since she said goodbye to the brunette that morning, only one phrase had been running through her mind.

"_Make sure the time you have left is worth it."_

Diana had been so lost, so confused on how she could make the rest of her time worth it. Until she found the answer waiting in her office for her this morning as if it had been destiny. A very beautiful, charming, goofy answer. Who would have known?

"You seem to be in a much better mood."

Hannah's voice interrupted her thoughts, only now noticing that she had stopped typing and was just staring blankly at the computer screen. The blonde looked over at the two girls smiling knowingly back at her.

"Yeah, what's got you smiling like that, Diana?" Barbara asked, tilting her head slightly as if she didn't already know.

Diana's face began to grow warmer as she felt a blush overtake her features. The pair of girls on the other side of the desk smiled a little brighter after noticing the blonde's very rosy cheeks.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're going on about."

Hannah and Barbara failed to hide their smirks as Diana turned her flustered gaze back to her computer. The two looked at each other in silent conversation before opening their lunches, containers of salad they'd bought from their favorite close by restaurant.

"Akko looked good today, didn't she Barb?" The auburn-haired girl took her first bite, eyes flickering up to the blonde to gauge her reaction.

"Mm." Barbara nodded her head as she chewed before swallowing. "She looked very good, Han. I wonder if she's taken?" She looked toward Hannah, whose eyes widened as her lips twitched, clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

"I didn't realize you had a thing for Japanese girls, Barb."

Barbara let out an undignified snort before covering her mouth in shock. Hannah covered her own mouth to hide her snickering before they remembered the other person in the room. Slowly, they turned their heads toward Diana, who was staring back at them, clearly unimpressed with their conversation.

"I'm not into Japanese girls," Barbara stated nervously, putting her hands up in her defense making the blonde roll her eyes and turn back to her computer, but failing to hold back a small smile.

"Even if you were, Barbara, I doubt it would matter. You know as well as I do that she doesn't look at other girls that way."

Hannah and Barbara both opened their mouths to say something but closed them quickly. With furrowed brows they gave each other surprised looks, looks that screamed '_she really doesn't know?!_' You didn't have to be a fan of Akko's band or Akko herself to have heard the rumors regarding her sexuality. While the gossip had died down as of late, there was a time where she was followed constantly after her supposed 'messy' breakup with Andrew Hanbridge, although one should never believe everything they see in the tabloids. But both Hannah and Barbara had seen the way Akko had looked at Diana today. It was completely different from the way she used to look at her. Something had definitely changed and the blonde was absolutely oblivious to it, stuck with the memories of Akko from the past. That clueless, idiotic Japanese girl who hadn't seen what was right in front of her. To Diana, Akko was still that girl.

"... and if she did look at girls that way?" The raven haired girl asked hesitantly.

"... you just said you weren't..." The blonde's eyes went wide as she stared at Barbara in disbelief.

"Diana, no." Hannah groaned as she rubbed her forehead in frustration while the girl next to her face palmed. "You. What if she looked at _you_ that way?"

"No. No, that's..." Diana trailed off for a moment as her mind began to race. She didn't believe Akko would actually look at her that way due to their past experiences. The brunette never seemed to notice the subtle hints she threw her way, the soft touches of their hands or the adoring smiles the blonde would catch herself flashing at the Japanese girl. Why would it be any different now? Of course, if Akko looked at her like that she'd be happy, ecstatic even, but nothing would ever come of it. While it would bring Diana true happiness, it would only bring suffering to anyone she opened herself to. In that moment she vowed to keep the walls she'd built up over the years standing, to reinforce them even in order to protect herself as well as anyone who tried to knock them down. What if Akko looked at her that way? In all honesty, it would shatter her heart into pieces. "That's impossible. She wouldn't."

"But-" Barbara started, but that thought was immediately cut off.

"But nothing. She wouldn't," Diana said a little louder with a tone of finality as she went back to work on her computer. '_She can't. I won't let that happen__,_' were her final thoughts before once again losing herself in her work.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**

**See you next week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Coffee For Two_

Akko checked the time on her phone for the tenth time as she sat in a worn chair, placed in the corner of the average hotel room she'd been staying in for the last two days. The brunette had woken up uncharacteristically early that morning, her excitement of seeing Diana again bubbled over and was as effective as the coffee she was addicted to. But unfortunately it was still too early to go anywhere, so Akko now found herself passing the time by strumming her guitar absentmindedly, deft fingers working expertly on the strings playing old melodies from her band days. Playing like this had always been calming for the brunette, even when her chaotic life had been whirling out of her control, she always had this to ground her. It was the only real lifeline she'd had for a long time, a constant in a world that was ever changing around her. Again, the Japanese girl checked her phone and let out a sigh before standing and placing her guitar into a soft case resembling a backpack for easy transfer. She should have checked what time Diana would arrive at the studio, but she could wait if she had to, anything was better than sitting here twiddling her thumbs.

The drive to the studio was a short one as she had made sure to choose the closest hotel she could find, which was relatively easy due to the quiet nature of the small town she was so familiar with. Akko went out of her way to pass by Luna Nova Academy on the outskirts of the city and smiled at the droves of students inhabiting the walkways leading from the dormitories to the largest building in the center of campus. She giggled at the sight of the dull gray uniforms, the very same ones she was required to wear when she attended. The brunette remembered begging Lotte relentlessly to alter her skirt length when she found out just how good the orange haired girl was with a needle. It was after her skirt had lost enough length to definitely be against the strict dress code that Diana had spoken to her for the first time, chastising her for her inappropriate appearance. Always the rebellious girl, Akko had thought about going even shorter to spite the blonde, but she knew where to draw the line. It was actually a miracle she hadn't been lectured by a teacher about her questionable skirt length, but it seemed that being a terrible student had its perks when people were more focused on how bad your grades were than what you were wearing.

Akko parked her rental car in the studio parking lot and eyed the rest of the vehicles around, attempting to guess which one could have possibly been Diana's. Unfortunately the few cars in the lot were all luxuriously bland, BMW and Mercedes emblems seeming to be the norm making Akko roll her eyes before opening the door and stepping out of her car. Very slowly she made her way toward the front door, an unexpected nervousness washing over her as she drew closer. It had been a long time since she felt this way, like she was a teenager girl again about to approach her crush, and it wasn't an unwelcome feeling. But she was at a loss at how do deal with it. Akko stopped just outside the doors, hand frozen on the handle for a moment before she took a few steps back and began pacing back and forth, cursing and groaning at herself under her breath.

"Come ooooon, Akko. You can do this. You...can do this. It's just Diana. Just try to ignore her beautiful eyes and how gorgeous she is and...and..." The brunette stopped for a split second before she groaned again and flailed her arms wildly.

* * *

"Ms. England?" The receptionist at the front desk of the studio said hesitantly into the phone while watching Akko pace back and forth through the one-sided tinted windows. "Could you possibly come to the front desk for a moment?"

After confirmation and replying with a quick 'thank you', the receptionist hung up her phone and continued watching the brunette with amused curiosity. Less than a minute later, Hannah and Barbara appeared from the hallway and looked at the small mousy receptionist expectantly. She nodded her head toward the front with raised eyebrows, the pair's gazes followed in unison before both their heads tilted automatically at the sight. Akko was now holding her head in both hands staring at the sky before rubbing the back of her neck furiously.

"What is she doing, Myra?" Barbara asked hesitantly as she leaned against the desk next to the receptionist.

"I'm not sure." Myra rested her elbow on the desk, chin in hand as she contemplated. "She's been doing this for about ten minutes now."

The brunette was back to pacing again, her mouth moving as she appeared to be giving herself a pep talk.

"I think she's lost it." Hannah shook her head in exasperation, making the two other women giggle in amusement as they watched for just a few moments longer until the auburn haired girl couldn't watch any longer and sighed heavily. "I can't believe I'm saying this," the auburn haired girl pinched the bridge of her nose as she slowly began to make her way toward the door, "but let's go help that idiot."

"Right behind you." Barbara chuckled as she fell into step with her friend.

Hannah opened the door slowly as to not alert the Japanese girl to her presence before moving to the side to allow Barbara to join her. Now that they could hear what the girl was saying to herself, they both began to shake in silent laughter, hands over their mouths in an attempt to stay silent as Akko rambled on to herself.

"You...are Atsuko Kagari. You're hot! Who wouldn't want you?"

"Glad to see you think so highly of yourself."

The brunette whirled around so quickly at the sound of Hannah's voice that she nearly gave herself whiplash, wearing a horrified expression at the sight of two amused smirks being sent her way. Hannah and Barbara walked forward, letting the door close behind them as they closed the distance between themselves and the brunette, who took a large step backward and fidgeted with her hands behind her back.

"If it's possible, I think you're a bigger dork than you were at academy." Barbara giggled, the comment not coming out harsh, but a tone of friendly banter that Akko wasn't use to hearing from either of the girls in front of her, causing the brunette to stare back at them suspiciously.

"If I may ask, Akko, what are you 'psyching'" Hannah put her hands up, fingers imitating quotation marks before continuing, "yourself up for?"

"I...uh..." the brunette's eyes darted between the two woman, her face blushing slightly in embarrassment now that the shock had worn off, "well I came to talk to Diana."

Hannah and Barbara arched their brows in unison, clearly confused as to what the big fuss was about. Akko didn't blame them, though, as she herself didn't know why she was getting so worked up. Diana had accepted her offer for coffee already, and it's not like it was a date or anything. She had made that clear when she asked, maybe a little to clear if she was being honest. She did use the word 'friends' about ten times in the span of her ten second ramble when attempting to ask the blonde out for coffee the first time. After a long defeated sigh and rubbing the back of her neck, Akko met the women's curious gazes with a sheepish smile.

"I asked her if she wanted to go get some coffee with me, and she said yes. So...I'm here."

Hannah and Barbara, who had been waiting in patient curiosity both nodded slowly after the admission, neither speaking immediately. The auburn haired girl opened her mouth once before quickly shutting it and pursing her lips as if she wanted so badly to say something but couldn't quite find the words. She then grabbed the arm of her raven haired friend and began to pull her away.

"If you'll just give us a moment, Akko. Do not move from that spot." Hannah called over her shoulder as she led Barbara around the corner and out of sight before Akko could protest.

All the brunette could hear were muffled whispers as both girls peeked around the corner more than once to make sure she was still there. Akko shifted on her feet uncomfortably and debated on running away, knowing that with the heels Hannah and Barbara wore they would never catch her. It would have been so easy but she couldn't bring herself to move as her curiosity outweighed her flight response at the moment. Suddenly the pair of women came into view once more and stopped in front of Akko, both standing tall and crossing their arms.

"We've decided to help you." Barbara stated, as if answering some sort of unspoken question.

The brunette raised her eyebrows as her eyes flitted between the pair.

"Eh? W-why?"

"We will help you if..." Hannah paused to take a slow step forward, making sure she held the Japanese girl's attention before continuing, "you answer our questions truthfully."

"O-oh? O-kay. Go ahead." Akko nodded, clasping her hands together behind her back to keep from fidgeting with them as her nervousness flared. '_What questions could they possibly have?' _the brunette thought as Barbara opened her mouth to speak.

"Are you attracted to woman?"

Okay, that wasn't at all what she expected.

"Yeah, I am." Akko shrugged as she said it, her nerves calming a bit at the unexpected question. It was not something she was ashamed of, although she'd never fully come out and said it so plainly like this. As she thought back, the signs had always been there if she were being honest. Though she hadn't come to any sort of realization as to what they meant until after she broke up with Andrew and finally had a chance to explore her options. The brunette had written the feelings and curiosity off as just some sort of phase in her younger years, a phase that she thought would eventually fade away but it persisted until she couldn't ignore them anymore. But-

"Are you attracted to Diana?" Hannah was the next to ask.

Well, the calm was good while it lasted. Akko froze in place, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt as she stared in shock at the auburn haired girl whose expression never wavered, no playfulness to be found in her intense eyes. The brunette opened and closed her mouth a few times, words escaping her as her heartbeat quickened infinitely. She rubbed her forehead while pointedly avoiding the expectant eyes on her before answering quietly.

"Yeah. I a-am."

"And will you do everything you possibly can to make her happy?" Barbara chimed in immediately, not surprised at all with Akko's answer.

"Wha...I don't even know if she likes me that-"

"No, Akko," Hannah angrily cut the brunette off before she could go any further, "it's not a hard question to answer. Whatever you are to her or whatever you'll be to her doesn't matter. What matters is that you will do everything you can to make her happy." The auburn haired girl jabbed a finger into Akko's chest roughly to emphasize her point.

"Or you will suffer the consequences." Barbara stepped closer and folded her arms in an attempt to be intimidating, but failed miserably as the brunette covered her mouth to hide her amused smile. The raven haired girl growled and stepped forward, readying her hand to slap the Japanese girl before the arm of her friend stopped her.

"Answer." Hannah said simply, wishing to get this conversation over with before she became an old lady.

Akko's gaze landed on Hannah once more, her smile fading as she felt the weight of the situation fall onto her shoulders. Of course the auburn haired girl was right, it shouldn't matter what she was to Diana. Whether or not the blonde returned her feelings didn't matter, Diana deserved to be happy. Akko could do that, or at least try.

She would try.

"I will." Akko stated with a determined nod, making the pair of girls in front of her smile with relief.

"Perfect. Now give us your phone." Hannah said as she held out her hand.

"...Why?"

"Just give it to us."

Hannah rolled her eyes as Akko stared at them suspiciously for moment before the brunette slowly pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it over. The auburn haired girl smiled sarcastically before typing something furiously and shoving it back into Akko's chest, the brunette almost dropping it after fumbling the fragile thing for a few moments.

"That is Diana's favorite coffee shop and what she orders there. Go pick it up and come back to take her to that park." Hannah pointed at a large park across the street. Trees covered most of the grounds, casting early morning shadows over the immaculately cared for grass and park benches. "It's her favorite place to go and relax."

After reading the text on her phone and a quick glance at the park, Akko turned back to the pair of women who had already begun to walk toward the front door of the studio building.

"Wait! I-is that it?" The brunette called after them.

Hannah and Barbara paused and turned back to the Japanese girl and tilted their heads in unison before the raven haired girl smiled mischievously and opened her mouth to speak.

"Take off that flannel. She loves those tattoos." With a wink and a giggle from both women, they turned and disappeared through the door, leaving a heavily blushing Akko standing there smiling like a fool in the parking lot.

The brunette looked over her phone once more before all but sprinting to her rental and jumped in, immediately starting the car and skidded out of the parking lot onto the road.

* * *

"It still doesn't sound right, Croix." Diana groaned in irritation as the two woman sat together in front of a large sound board, going over the blonde's last recording. The violinist rubbed circles into her temples and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to relax while the lilac haired woman's lips twitched, holding back an amused grin.

"Always the perfectionist, Diana." Croix rolled her eyes and let out a soft chuckle when a glare was thrown in her direction. "It sounds fine, really."

"Fine isn't good enough." Diana snapped back, slightly pouting as she crossed her arms before her face fell, her expression turning from irritation into one of desperation and sadness.

The older woman noticed the blonde's change in demeanor and furrowed her brows, a pang of sorrow rang out in her heart as she stared at this fragile girl that had become like family to her since her days teaching at the academy. This girl that had reminded her so much of herself that she couldn't help but watch over the girl as a mentor, and eventually a business partner. When Croix was informed about Diana's condition just days ago, she had almost collapsed in sorrow. Luckily she was able to hold in the tears until she was alone in her apartment that night, already grieving the eventual loss of her self declared younger sister. The older woman proceeded to silence the recording playing over the speakers, letting the small studio fall into silence before she turned to the blonde, who looked back at Croix in confusion.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The lilac haired woman asked softly.

"Do I want to talk about what?" Diana arched her brow, whether in feigned ignorance or real confusion Croix didn't really know as the blonde was well trained at keeping her emotions hidden. Although the older woman knew the young violinist was not stupid by any means.

"Come on, Diana. You know exactly what I mean."

Diana's arched brow fell as her expression turned unnervingly neutral as she stared at Croix for a very long moment, silent and unmoving until she finally forced her gaze away and trained her eyes on the thick glass that divided the room in half, her mother's violin hanging on the wall on the other side. After a long sigh she relented and spoke.

"Honestly I don't think there's anything to talk about, Croix."

"Diana," Croix sighed and rubbed her forehead, "I know you are used to handling everything by yourself but I think you need to talk to someone about this."

"And what, pray tell, do you expect me to say?" Diana replied immediately, her tone as cold as ice. "Croix, I'm going to die soon. What is the point in talking about it besides to remind me that this," the blonde gestured vaguely around the room, "is all pointless now. I'm doing my best to care about my job, I really am, but what is the point when I won't live long enough to see most of this music released."

"Diana-" The older woman began but was cut off immediately.

"Don't." The blonde put a hand up and closed her eyes as she spoke. "I'm going to live as normally as I possibly can, Croix."

"Normally." Croix scoffed as she fixed Diana with narrowed eyes. "Normal for you is being alone and shutting people out. Is that really how you want to spend the rest of your life? You couldn't possibly want that."

The blonde's hands clenched into fists and she opened her mouth to retort but closed it again when the door to the studio opened, the receptionist poked her head in hesitantly as if trying not to interrupt anything too important.

"Excuse me, Ms. Cavendish?"

"Yes, Myra?" Diana answered, still not breaking eye contact with the older woman in the room.

"Ms. Kagari is here to see you. She's waiting for you by my desk."

Diana and Croix's heads both swiveled quickly to look at the mousy girl in the doorway in surprise. The blonde was pleasantly surprised while the older woman looked utterly shocked, not believing the words that had just come out of the receptionist's mouth.

"Thank you, Myra. Please let her know I'll be there soon." The violinist replied with a smile and a curt nod which was reciprocated by the girl before she closed the door and left the pair alone in the room once more.

"Please tell me I heard that wrong." Croix turned back to Diana with her eyebrows raised and her mouth agape.

"You didn't." The blonde rolled her eyes playfully, glad the conversation from before was now forgotten as she let a small smile show through when she noticed the look of pain on the older woman's face.

"Then tell me it's a different Kagari. Literally any other Kagari in this world would be better than-"

"It's Akko."

Croix sighed long and hard, massaging her temples as if just having the Japanese girl in the same building as her would bring on a terrible migraine. Diana chuckled softly at the display, remembering just how much the lilac haired woman disliked the brunette troublemaker at the academy. Akko did have a way of getting deeply under the skin of every one of her professors for one reason or another.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The blonde said cheekily with a smirk, eliciting a glare from the older woman before she stood up and moved toward the door. "We can resume this session later, Croix. I think we both need a small break," she said before pausing at the door, "unless you'd like to come and say hello to your favorite student?"

"Hmm," Croix stood up and made a show of actually considering the proposition, "no, I think I'll just go slam my head in a door a few times. That'd give me less of a headache."

Diana flashed an amused smile and shook her head while she opened the door and walked into the hallway, heading in the direction of the front desk. She walked slower than usual, lost in thought about what had irritated her so much during that conversation with Croix. She could deny it to others until she was blue in the face, but the truth is that the older woman had hit a nerve. Diana didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to die alone. Whether it was her pride, or her fear of appearing weak after a lifetime of building a persona of strength, she didn't know why it was so hard for her to open up. It was truly vexing when she wanted so much for someone to tear her walls down while at the same time she was terrified of what they'd find behind those walls.

Before she knew it, Diana was about to round the corner to the front desk but for a reason unknown to herself, she stopped and peeked around the corner, taking care not to be seen by anyone until she had a clear view of Akko sitting in the waiting area. The brunette was fidgeting nervously in her chair, straightening her clothes out before settling again and staring intensely at the two cups of coffee sitting on the table in front of her. The blonde noticed all these details quickly but what she couldn't tear her eyes away from was what the brunette was wearing. An outfit very reminiscent of the photos she'd seen Akko wear on stage during some of her many concerts. A loose tank top, revealing the glory of her shoulders covered in a variety of Japanese inspired tattoos, and some very worn tight fitting jeans. If the brunette hadn't been the cause of Diana's gay awakening at the academy, this sight would have definitely been the end of any doubt she'd have about her sexuality. The blonde grinned as Akko's knee began to bounce up and down as she checked her phone before stuffing it immediately back into her pocket and straightening out her clothes once again. After a deep breath, Diana decided she shouldn't keep the Japanese girl waiting any longer and rounded the corner and walked as calmly as she could to the chair that Akko occupied. Her heels click clacked across the tiled floor, making the brunette look up immediately at the sound. The smile on Akko's face was bright enough to blind anyone within a ten foot radius as she stood to greet Diana, causing the blonde's heart to skip multiple times as they gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment.

"Hi."

"Hello, Akko."

The blonde waited in silence for Akko to say something, anything, but no words came as the brunette looked as if she was doing the same thing. Diana wanted to laugh as Akko began to fidget nervously with her hands but instead settled on arching her brow in quiet questioning.

"How may I help you?"

"Oh! Shit!" The brunette exclaimed before immediately slapping her hand over her mouth and her eyes went wide, missing the slight shake in the blonde's shoulders from silent laughter. "I mean...uh...shoot. Heh." Akko rubbed the back of her neck shyly as a small blush enveloped her face. "I know you agreed to go out for coffee with me but I thought I'd bring the coffee to you." With a toothy grin, the Japanese girl picked up the coffee cups off of the small table and held one out for Diana to take.

"Oh?" The violinist hesitantly took the cup, turning it around in her hand but found no markings of what the brew consisted of. To say that Diana was a coffee snob was an understatement, so one could understand the blonde's reluctance to taste the liquid. "What...is it? If I may ask."

Blue eyes locked onto panicked crimson as Akko froze in place, her cup half way to her mouth for her first taste. Slowly the brunette lowered the cup, her gaze flitting this way and that as she struggled to remember the complicated order.

"Triple...uh…" Akko started as she scratched her cheek, "non-sweet...no. No that's not it." She mumbled, now seeming to have a conversation with herself as Diana looked on in amusement. "Venti, triple sweet...no. Uh…"

The blonde smiled adoringly as the Japanese girl furrowed her eyebrows in deep thought. She wasn't sure how Akko found out her very specific coffee order but she was sure she knew exactly what the brunette was trying to get out.

"Triple, venti, half sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato?" Diana asked without hesitation, as if she had ordered the drink a thousand times before. Which she probably had if she had kept count.

"Yeah! Yeah that's it." Akko happily exclaimed and let out a sigh of relief before again bringing her cup up to her mouth.

Diana laughed softly before mirroring the brunette and preparing to take a sip of her own coffee. As if in sync, the hot liquid hit the pair's lips at the same time, but instead of satisfied smiles or euphoric sighs from the heavenly liquid, there were grimaces, and on Akko's part, slight gagging. They both slapped their hands over there mouths as they made sounds of disgust, both doing everything they can to get the coffee down their throats without splitting it all over the floor. Once both were safe from humiliation, they glared at their own cups for a moment.

"The fuck was that?" Akko sputtered out, not caring in the slightest about her language at a time like this.

"I share that sentiment." Diana agreed, her expression being that of someone who had just taken a bite out of a very sour lemon.

Both girls looked up at the same time and then down to each other's cups before quickly trading and taking a tentative sip, both sighing in relief when they tasted their prefered brews.

"Well that was a terrible start." Akko laughed nervously, still staring at the white lid of her cup as she turned it around in her hand. "Sorry."

"It's fine I assure you." Diana replied with amusement in her eyes, and without even thinking about it she reached out and squeezed the brunette's shoulder lightly. Suddenly her eyes widened slightly at her actions, and at the noticeable blush on Akko's face before pulling her hand away as though the very contact was hot enough to burn her. She could feel that her face most likely matched the color of Akko's now from the warmth that instantly flooded her cheeks. Diana cleared her throat and looked at anything that wasn't the brunette in front of her and the two fell into an awkward silence as they sipped their coffee once more.

"So uh…how about we take a walk. In that park?" Akko nodded in the direction of the large park across the street, the blonde following with her gaze and raised brows.

"I'd like that." Diana smiled in relief at the chance to get out of standing here awkwardly with the brunette.

Akko gestured for the violinist to follow her, both girls walking to the front door and exiting the building. Neither of them noticed the three women standing at the receptionist's desk who had watched the whole exchange in silence, all three of them having to stifle chuckles and hold themselves back from facepalming during the short conversation. After the doors closed behind Diana and Akko, the three women sighed exasperatedly in unison, a certain auburn haired girl closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose before opening her mouth to speak.

"They are both idiots."

* * *

Diana and Akko walked in relative silence as they crossed the parking lot and the street before they made their way onto the sidewalk that would take them on a winding path through the dense trees. Both girls fidgeted with their cups as they contemplated how exactly to start this conversation, but as one would expect, the brunette was the first to break the silence as she wasn't one for being silent for long.

"So...nice weather today huh?" Akko winced at her own dumb question, internally slapping herself until she heard a quiet chuckle come from the girl walking next to her.

"After all these years, _that_ is how you start this conversation?" Diana arched her brow and took a long sip of her hot beverage, if only to hide her amused smile.

"It made you laugh. I don't regret it." The brunette smiled proudly until she turned to the blonde, the smile she was met with warming her heart, effectively turning her proud smile into a goofy lopsided grin.

"You always did have a knack for making me laugh when no one else could." Diana spoke softly, looking straight ahead once more as the path neared a clearing, the bench she usually occupied coming into view.

Akko continued to look at the blonde as they walked, just watching and enjoying her subtle expressions. The look of utter content when she took sips of her coffee, the way her eyes briefly fluttered shut when the calm breeze hit her face, the way her blue eyes seemed to sparkle like an immaculate gemstone in the bright sunlight. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The brunette had always known that, of course, but she had never taken the time to appreciate the smaller details of Diana. It was as if looking through brand new eyes.

"Akko?"

Akko's eyes went wide as she now noticed those beautiful blue eyes locked on her. How long had she been staring?

"Y-yeah?"

"I asked if you would like to sit with me to talk about the song."

"Oh." Akko shook her head slightly and looked around, only now noticing they'd arrived at a bench overlooking a beautiful clearing, an ornate fountain occupying the center. "Right. The song."

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Diana arched a brow, watching as the brunette shifted nervously on her feet in front of her.

"Y-yeah."

Lie.

"You're lying to me."

"Eh?" Akko breathed out, shocked at being called out on her bullshit so quickly before blinking back at Diana blankly for a moment. The blonde just stared intently back at her, searching for an answer that the blank stare apparently didn't provide before sighing and looking away wistfully.

"Akko, to be frank, you were never a great liar." Diana sat herself slowly down onto the bench and held her cup with both hands, feeling the fading warmth of the liquid. "I was inclined to believe you back in my office because the idea intrigued me-"

"No no no," Akko waved her hands in front of herself in a panic, "I do want to do the song! I've already started writing it!" She frantically began to dig her phone out of her pocket before a gentle hand stopped her. The brunette froze before looking down, her gaze met saddening azure eyes.

"Tell me why you're really here, Akko. Please."

The desperation in Diana's voice chilled Akko to her core. No, she had never wanted to hear the blonde like this again, never wanted to be the reason she sounded so...broken again. How foolish she was to think her past actions had no lasting effect, that her transgression had been washed away in their years apart. With a defeated sigh, Akko turned around and slumped down onto the bench next to Diana before staring in silence at the view in front of them as she gathered her extremity messy thoughts. She wet her lips before opening her mouth but closed it immediately, then opened it again but couldn't quite find the words. The brunette groaned instead and rubbed her eyes furiously before sighing once more.

"My life is a fucking mess, Diana." Akko laughed bitterly, her hands now clasped together tightly in her lap. "I have nothing, and no one. Sure I have money, but I've never felt so...poor. Ya know?" She chanced a glance at the blonde, who hadn't moved and seemed to be studying the ground in front of her. "I've pushed everyone that's cared about me away because I was...I don't know...selfish? Stupid?"

"Both, most likely." Diana chimed in playfully with a small smile, still looking away from the brunette who snickered mirthfully.

"Most likely." Akko agreed before her newfound smile faded and her brows furrowed. "Diana, that day at the concert hall...the things I said to you..."

"Akko, we don't have to-"

"No, I have to do this." The brunette cut off Diana's interruption before she sat up straight and turned her head, finally finding hesitant azure eyes meeting her pained crimson ones. "I've done a lot of stupid things, and i regret so much, but throwing away our friendship is the thing I regret the most. I'm so sorry Diana. I was stupid and immature and just...the worst!" Akko threw her hands up into the air in frustration. "All you did was care about me and I...I yelled at you, and...god I was such a bitch!"

"Akko-" Diana tried calming the erratic girl down, reaching out for her shoulder but Akko shot off the bench and began pacing.

"And then there was Andrew! Okay, he turned out to be a bit of a douchebag but still! And then my band…" the brunette slowed her pacing to stop, looking off into the distance as if she'd entered her own little world, "my best friends…"

"Akko…" the blonde said again quietly in concern at the sight of tears beginning to run down Akko's cheeks before standing slowly and moving toward her distraught friend.

"I-I don't know what to do." Akko whispered shakily as her breathing became shallow. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her cheek, instantly bringing her back to the present as she raised her gaze to find Diana's worried eyes.

"Please calm down." The blonde cooed as she swiped Akko's tears away with with her thumb.

The Japanese girl nodded slightly and closed her eyes before taking a few deep shaky breaths. The tension slowly faded away as she breathed, the warmth from Diana's hand as comforting as the warm sun on her face after a long cold winter. Every time she breathed in, she could smell the blonde's floral perfume, calming her even further. Without opening her eyes, she finally continued.

"The truth is, I don't know why I'm here, Diana." She admitted softly. "What I do know is that when I'm with you, I feel like myself again. For the first time in a long time. So please," Akko opened her eyes and fixed Diana with a pleading gaze, "give me another chance."

The blonde swallowed hard as she looked into those broken crimson eyes, it took everything she had in that moment to not lean in and kiss every one of Akko's tears away, to tell her that she's never needed to ask for a second chance, but she knew what the brunette needed to hear.

"Akko, I don't know what happened with Andrew, or your friends, but I've forgiven you." Diana smiled when Akko brought her own hand up to rest on hers and grinned in return. The blonde's smile then turned into a slight smirk. "And your second chance began when I didn't throw you out of my office when you first arrived."

Akko tilted her head back and giggled before pulling Diana's hand away from her face but never let go as their interlocked hands fell. The brunette wiped away the few remaining tears before throwing her arm around Diana's neck and pulled her in for a tight hug. The blonde stiffened for a moment in surprise before all but melting into Akko's warmth as she wrapped her free hand around the brunette's waist.

"Thank you, Diana." Akko whispered close to Diana's ear, making the blonde squeeze her a bit tighter.

They stood there holding each other in silence for a long moment, both needing the comfort of each other's embrace more than the other could possibly know. Reluctantly they pulled away from each other before they both settled on the bench once more, Diana straightening out her clothes while Akko wiped away the last of a few stray tears.

"So about the song," the blonde started, returning to her professional demeanor, "you said you've started writing one?"

"Yeah! I…" Akko hesitated as she pulled her phone out, opened it and read through the lyrics she had written. None of them fit together yet, just a random selection of sentences whenever she'd been inspired. She was inspired now, but for a whole new reason. Diana had forgiven her, given her a second chance, had held her close when she needed it. The blonde had made her heart threaten to beat out of her chest with just the touch of her hand, as if the organ already knew that the girl in front of them had already taken ownership of it.

"Actually, Diana, I think we should write the lyrics together." Akko closed her phone and looked up to her wide eyed friend.

"Akko, I don't know anything about writing lyrics."

"You don't need to know anything. They come from the heart." The brunette grinned when Diana's expression didn't change at all. "Okay okay, how about this," she turned and sat cross legged on the bench to fully face the blonde, "I'll think of a lyric and you add onto it. Just whatever comes to mind."

Diana only nodded, still looking terrified while Akko tapped on her chin with her pointer finger as she thought.

"Okay." The brunette swiped open her phone again and typed out a sentence in a new memo before handing it over to Diana to read.

_Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time_

"Is...is this a love song?" The blonde gasped.

"...Is that a problem? I-It doesn't have to be I just...uh.." Akko sputtered out as she tried to swipe the phone away.

"It's fine," Diana stated as she held the phone out of reach while pushing the brunette away, "I just...wasn't expecting it. That's all."

Akko relented and nodded as she watched, worried she might have gone too far. To her relief however, it didn't take long for Diana to type something out and hand the phone back, but what Akko didn't expect was the blush quickly making its way onto the blonde's face. After giving Diana a curious look, the brunette quickly read what the blonde had written and smiled brightly.

_Surely you can take some comfort knowing that you're mine_

"It's terrible isn't it." Diana grimaced after getting over her initial embarrassment of writing a love song with Akko. The brunette giggled and dropped the phone into her lap before resting her elbow on the back of the bench and placed her head on her hand before grinning.

"No. It's absolutely perfect."

'_You're perfect.'_

* * *

**Thank you for reading y'all! I hope everyone is enjoying! I love every one of you!**

**Also please go check out the amazing artwork for this fic by AWEIRDLATINA on tumblr! She's amazing and if y'all don't follow her you should. Like go right now. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Realization_

Akko sat at the small round table in her hotel room, her laptop perched in front of her as she scrolled through the page on screen. She held a phone up to her ear and listened as the person on the other end talked her ear off about things that didn't interest her, numbers and figures flew in one ear and out the other.

"Look, I told you the amount doesn't matter." The brunette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as the voice continued to grate on her nerves. "That's fine. Just find me something that meets my requirements, I don't care how expensive it is." As Akko puffed out her cheeks and let a long exaggerated breath escape her lips, there came a timid knock on the door, pulling the brunette's gaze from the bright screen to the generic white door of her room. "Yeah." She mumbled into the phone absentmindedly as she stood and quickly walked to the door, standing on her tip toes to look through the peep hole. A grin quickly made it's way onto Akko's face as her view was filled with a mane of bright red hair. "Hey, sorry but I need to call you back." She said quickly, and without waiting for a response she shut her phone off and stuffed it into her pocket before opening the door, smiling brightly as she was met with the toothy grin of her manager.

"Chariot!" The brunette leaped forward and wrapped the older woman up in a bone crushing hug, eliciting a chuckle from the redhead.

"It's good to see you too, Akko." Chariot squeezed the girl just as tightly.

After a moment they let go, Akko immediately pulled the woman into her room and shut the door behind them before she forcefully took Chariot's bag from her and threw it on the bed.

"I'm glad you were able to come!"

"Well whatever you needed to talk to me about sounded important." The redhead slowly made her way toward the small table as she glanced around the room. "I didn't expect you to be staying in a place like this, though."

"Ah, well I didn't really look too much into it when I booked the room." Akko shrugged as she moved to join Chariot at the table. "It was just the closest hotel to the stu...dio." The brunette stopped in her tracks when the older woman's head shot up instantly at that last word.

"Studio? Are you planning on recording again?" Chariot stared at the Japanese girl with wide eyes, not quite believing what she was hearing before slowly lowering herself into a small chair at the table.

"I...yeah. That's kinda what I want to talk to you about." Akko rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she sat down. "You remember Diana Cavendish right?" The older woman stared back at her, unimpressed and brow arched, letting the brunette know that it was a stupid question. "Right, heh. Why would you not remember Diana Cavendish." Akko mumbled to herself as she shifted in her chair, and when she opened her mouth no words came out. She pursed her lips and lifted her gaze to the ceiling before scratching her cheek.

"Just spit it out kid." Chariot chuckled before leaning over and ruffling the brunette's hair, making the girl groan and swipe at the older woman's hand furiously.

"You really need to cut that out, Chariot." Akko grumbled as she ran her fingers through her hair to fix the mess. "I'm an adult ya know."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Chariot smirked and leaned back in her chaired before folding her arms.

The woman opened her mouth to continue but stopped and narrowed her eyes when she caught sight of what was on the screen of the brunette's laptop. Akko's eyes widened in horror as she jumped forward and slammed the laptop shut, however, she knew it was too late when she looked up at Chariot who stared back at her in shock.

"Akko, are you buying a house here?"

"Uhhh...I was...thinking about it." The brunette laughed nervously, completely avoiding the gaze of her former professor.

"But..." Chariot trailed off and furrowed her eyebrows, obviously very confused with the whole situation, "Akko, when you graduated you couldn't get out of this town fast enough."

"I know."

"Then...why?"

The question hung in the air for a good couple minutes before Akko could decide exactly how to answer it. The brunette stared down at the dark wood of the table and let out a long sigh.

"I'm just thinking about it, Chariot. Exploring my options, ya know?"

Chariot narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at the younger girl. She knew the brunette was withholding information, of course, but whatever it was that Akko was going through, she would have to figure it out herself. The older woman had always been somewhat protective of the Japanese girl but she was right, she was an adult. So Chariot relented with a small nod and relaxed a bit in her chair before returning to why she was there in the first place.

"Okay, so what about Diana and the studio?"

"Oh. Right. I kinda...maybe...askedDianatowriteasongwithme." Akko said quickly and held her breath as the redhead stared back at her unblinking and silent. After a few more moments of silence, Akko's nervous energy got the best of her and she continued. "And she said yes."

The older woman stayed quiet, her brows furrowing before she opened her mouth and closed it again as she stayed silent for a moment longer.

"So let me get this straight." Chariot leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "Akko Kagari, the rock star, disappears for two years after her band breaks up and shows up in the little town she said she'd never return to, is thinking about settling down there, and asks Diana Cavendish to write a song with her. And Diana Cavendish, one of the most sought after violinists in the world, who has played with some of the most recognized classically trained musicians of this century, said yes."

"...Yeah, that sounds about right."

Chariot nodded slowly again in exasperation, her wide eyes never left the nervously fidgeting girl in front of her as she tried and failed to understand how all of this happened so suddenly. She had been at Akko's side for a very long time, and she knew all too well about the reason why Diana had so suddenly disappeared from the brunette's side at the academy. As their professor, Chariot felt that it wasn't her place to interfere but it had killed her to see the two girls drift apart like that. The woman noticed a change in Akko, as the last time she saw the brunette she was a complete drunken mess ready to throw everything away that she worked so hard for. Chariot was more than disappointed when Akko did just that, unfortunately making the same mistakes the redhead had in her younger years and she could do nothing to stop it. But now, this Akko she was seeing in front of her reminded her so much of the quirky, happy Japanese girl that had attended the academy, and it warmed Chariot's heart immensely. There was just one elephant sized unanswered question.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Akko furrowed her brows and tilted her head reminding the redhead of a small confused puppy.

"Why come back now? Why stay here? Why did you go to Diana of all people?" Each question came out a little quicker and more high pitched as Chariot fought to understand what this girl was thinking.

"Yes, yes. All good questions Chariot," Akko said nervously while checking the nonexistent watch on her wrist before she stood quickly and began gathering her things, "but right now we have a very important meeting with Diana Cavendish."

"What?!"

"Well I mean, she told me to come by today in the afternoon for a jam session." The brunette said absentmindedly as she fumbled with the strap to her guitar case.

"Akko, it's not even noon yet." Chariot raised a brow at the excited tornado of a girl in front if her. She couldn't help but let a small smile show through at the sight, though. It was nice to see the brunette with a fire in her eyes, albeit a small one, it was still there.

"So we're a little early. I'm sure she won't mind." Akko shrugged as she reached out and pulled the older woman out of her chair and dragged her out the door.

"But-" Chariot couldn't get anymore words out as the brunette jumped into her rental car, leaving the redhead to stare at her through the front window with wariness in her eyes. After letting a long sigh escape, Chariot moved to the side of the car and slid into the passenger seat before Akko drove quickly out of the parking lot and in the direction of the studio.

* * *

Diana rested in her desk chair, staring at her computer screen in her completely silent office. She hadn't moved for a long time, she hadn't blinked either if the burning in her eyes had meant anything. Her doctor had sent her the results of her latest blood tests and they were worse than she had expected. Every negative change, however small, completely terrified her. The ticking of the clock on the wall became louder and louder in her ears as if reminding her, no, screaming at her that her life was coming closer to an end with every second that passed. A few tears finally made their way down her pale cheeks as Diana couldn't hold back the pool of water in the corner of her eyes any longer, and her throat quickly became sore in her effort to hold back the sobs that threatened to overtake her. She balled her hands into fists and closed her eyes as she tried to stop herself into spiraling into the dark thoughts that she'd been fighting to exhaustion this past week.

It took all the energy the blonde could muster to take a few shaky deep breaths and calm her racing heart before a soft knock came at her door. In a panic, Diana wiped the wetness from her cheeks and cleared her sore throat before attempting to call out to whoever was outside her door.

"Y-yes?" Diana cringed at her stuttering and croaking voice as she waited for a response.

"Ms. Cavendish? Ms. Kagari is here to see you." The receptionist called out meekly, clearly still not comfortable with interrupting her boss.

Diana looked at her watch with wide eyes, not believing it could have been after noon already, but it wasn't. Of course Akko would be early when the blonde was such a mess. She was about to open her mouth to speak when she heard a second voice outside her door, a very distinct voice that made the corner of Diana's lips twitch.

"I told you to call me Akko, ya know."

The blonde couldn't hear the response from her receptionist but she could imagine the bright blush that was most likely forming on the girl's face at that very moment. She allowed herself a small smile as she stared at the door, wondering how on earth this Japanese girl could make her feel this way. How could she make her smile at all when seconds ago she was in the middle of a panic attack? What was it about the girl that instantly calmed Diana even in the most stressful of times?

"Ms….Cavendish?"

The small voice pulled Diana out of her musings, making her shake her head slightly before she stood and made her way to the door quickly. After pulling it open, she was surprised to be met with three figures instead of the two she expected. Her eyes darted from her mousy receptionist to the older woman, who had a nervous smile on her face, and then finally found familiar crimson eyes. Akko smiled brightly at the blonde for all but a second before her smile shifted to a concerned frown. The brunette took a step forward and furrowed her brows.

"Diana, are you okay?"

Diana's eyes widened in the realization that she probably looked horrible as she hadn't even thought to check herself over in her mirror before opening the door.

"O-oh!" The blonde attempted to wipe her face once more in the area that most likely was smeared with her mascara. "I'm fine." She smiled, hoping it was reassuring enough to quail Akko's worries. She knew she failed, however, as the brunette stayed silent for a very long moment and searched for the obvious lie hidden behind azure eyes.

"Yeah, okay." Akko said hesitantly as she took a slow step back, her smile returning slightly as she turned to the older woman standing next to her. "You remember Chariot right, Diana?"

"Yes, of course. It's a pleasure to see you again professor." Diana nodded curtly at the redhead as she fell back to her default of formal socialization.

"It's good to see you, Diana. But please call me Chariot." The redhead smiled warmly and nodded back at Diana, who visibly relaxed a bit in the doorway.

"Right. Myra," the blonde turned to to receptionist who perked up right away, "please escort Akko and...Chariot to studio B. I'll meet you there in a moment."

The mousy girl smiled and nodded before beginning down the hallway, waving at the pair to follow her. Akko smiled and let her gaze fall on Diana for a little longer before turning and following the receptionist. The blonde watched adoringly as the brunette walked away until she felt a hand fall softly onto her shoulder. She turned her head to find Chariot smiling knowingly back at her with her hand held out, clutching a small plastic package. Diana hesitantly took the offered object and instantly realized that they were makeup wipes. She must really look like a mess.

"Thank you, Chariot." The blonde looked up with an appreciative smile.

"Probably a good idea to carry some of those around with you. Believe me, I know from experience." With a soft chuckle, Chariot turned and walked down the hallway, following the two girls.

Diana closed the door and leaned her head against it for a moment.

"That...is good advice." She whispered to herself before pushing off the hard wood and turned to look at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall. She instantly blushed in embarrassment at her appearance, mortified that Akko had seen her like this. No wonder the brunette was so worried, it was clear as day that Diana had been crying and she wasn't looking forward to the questions that were no doubt going to come from the Japanese girl. What is she going to tell her? How was Akko going to react when she eventually found out about her illness? Surely this collaboration with the girl wasn't going to take more than a few weeks. Akko would probably stay long enough to finish the song and move on, using this as a small stepping stone to get back into the business. Suddenly she paused, the wipe still held under her right eye as she stared back into her own eyes. She didn't expect her heart to ache so much at that the thought of Akko leaving her. '_But it would be for the best' _she thought to herself as she dropped her hand to her side and let the wipe fall to the floor.

"It's for the best." She whispered, still staring into her own eyes and trying like hell to convince herself that she had no right to ask Akko to stay with her. "Get yourself together, Cavendish."

After a few deep breaths, the blonde straightened out her clothing and gave herself one last look over before exiting her office and making her way toward the room where Akko and Chariot were now waiting for her. She walked with the faux air of confidence she'd perfected over the years, her expression cool and collected as she grasped the handle to the door of studio B and pulled it open, revealing the two figures. Chariot was seated in front of the sound boards with her hand over her face while Akko was standing suspiciously still, her hands behind her back and wide eyed resembling a child who had just been caught doing something they shouldn't have been. Diana arched a brow at the brunette in silent questioning as she closed the door and moved to where Akko stood. She reached around the brunette, leaning close enough to smell the scent of her fruity shampoo as she pushed a button on the control board, holding back a chuckle at how ridged the girl had gone at their proximity.

"Although this isn't official, I want to record this session if that's alright with you." Diana took a step back and eyed the Japanese girl, who gave her simple nod and coughed before looking away with a blush adorning her cheeks. Satisfied with that, the blonde then turned to Chariot in concern. "I'm sorry, Chariot, this probably won't be very entertaining for you."

"Oh it's fine, Diana. I'm just happy I get to listen to you two play again. Reminds me of the old days." Chariot flashed a genuine smile, relieving some of the blonde's worry.

"Shall we, Akko?" Diana gestured toward the entrance to the recording booth before moving toward it without waiting for a response.

"Yes we shall." Akko responded in a terrible imitation of the blonde, earning herself a slight glare from icy blue eyes. The brunette giggled and followed Diana into the booth and closed the door behind her.

The pair settled in, Akko retrieving her guitar from her case and Diana taking her mother's violin from the rack on the wall that had been displaying in all of it's beautiful glory. Neither said a word as they tuned their instruments, both sharing glances at one another every now and then until they were both as prepared as possible and couldn't avoid conversation any longer.

"So I...uh...kind of came up with some stuff." Akko hesitantly stated, breaking the deafening silence between them. "I was thinking I could play it for you and you could tell me what you think?"

"That would be lovely, Akko." Diana smiled as she sat in one of chairs in the booth and crossed one leg over the other, resting her violin in her lap.

"O-okay." The brunette sat in the chair across from her and readied her guitar atop one of her thighs, taking a deep breath before lifting her hand as if to strum but paused. "Just...I haven't written anything in a long time so uh..."

"That's perfectly fine."

Akko nodded slowly and took another deep breath, preparing herself to play once more before pausing once more.

"I've never accompanied a violin before so-"

"Akko. Please stop stalling and just play." Diana smirked at the hesitant girl, finding the whole situation quite ironic. Akko could play in front of thousands of people, yet when she was one on one with Diana, she was so nervous.

"Yeah, okay. Right."

Finally the brunette began to strum, slow at first and so gentle that it was as if Akko was afraid of breaking her strings. The quiet melody instantly putting Diana at ease as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her mind already racing with a melody of her own. It was a happy tune, Akko no doubt ran with the love song idea which was an odd choice in the blonde's mind. Diana was use to fueling sorrow with her violin, her love of haunting melodies was no secret if you went through her works so she was quite nervous doing something so new to her, with Akko of all people. Better late than never, she supposed.

Suddenly the strumming stopped and Diana opened her eyes slowly to see the brunette staring back at her bashfully and biting her lip, no doubt waiting for the blonde's feedback.

"So...uh...w-what did you think?" Akko stuttered out as she fidgeted with the guitar pick between her fingers.

"It was really lovely, Akko." Diana smiled warmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt of being genuine. "I think we're going to create some beautiful music together."

"Some..." the brunette opened her mouth but no words came as she tilted her head, a slight blush adorning her cheeks, "oh, you mean the song. Beautiful music for the song." Akko then cleared her throat and scratched her cheek sheepishly under the confused gaze of the blonde.

"Of course," Diana arched her brow and stood before bringing her violin up to her shoulder, "what else could that have meant?"

"Absolutely nothing." The brunette replied quickly as she shifted her guitar in her lap. "So uh...what ya doin'?"

"I believe I have some ideas." The blonde let a small smirk show through at the sight of Akko's jaw dropping as she raised her bow and readied herself. "Please start from the beginning."

The brunette simply nodded and began to pluck the strings the way she had before, Diana watched her for a few moments before closing her eyes and began to play as well. They were a little out of sync at first but quickly fell into a comfortable flow as if they'd been doing this for years. Akko's gaze never left Diana, afraid that if she looked away this moment would be nothing but a dream that she would soon forget after waking up. The way the blonde played had always mesmerized her. The amount of emotion she showed with every note, through every little movement filled Akko's heart with adoration, with hope, with...love. With love? Was that what this feeling was? Suddenly a shiver ran up of the brunette's spine when she came to the realization. Her eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard as she thought about the very real possibility that she could very well be in love with Diana Cavendish. The way her heart raced with a simple glance from those beautiful azure eyes, the way her skin seemed to tingle with one touch from the blonde's impossibly soft hands, the way everything seemed to be...right when she was with her, this was…

"Akko?"

Diana's voice shook Akko out of her inner panic, only now realizing that she had stopped playing her guitar and was frozen in place. The blonde had lowered her bow to her side and was now looking at the brunette in concern.

"Yeah?" Akko croaked out, her throat suddenly very dry.

"Would you...like to continue?" Diana hesitantly asked, still a little perplexed at the smile she had been given while she was playing just seconds before. When the blonde had opened her eyes during their song, Akko had been giving her a look she'd never seen on the brunette before. That smile, she didn't quite know what to make of it. Something about it...

"Yes. Sorry, I must have...yeah. Let's keep going." Akko giggled nervously as she shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. Or at least save them for later when she wouldn't keep making a complete fool of herself in front of the object of her affection.

Akko started once more and Diana quickly fell into pace again, the melody of the two instruments intertwining together perfectly as the pair poured out their emotions through the music. The blonde knew she wasn't playing as perfect as she'd like, but she was still shaken from before. Her eyes were closed, taking in the melody and afraid that if she opened them again she would see that look, that smile, and she wouldn't be able to continue under the intense gaze of crimson eyes. Her curiosity got the best of her, however, and she chanced a quick peek, regretting it immediately as she found the same expression from Akko as before. She was wrong before, she had seen that look on the brunette's face, but it had never been directed at her. No, she had watched from the sidelines as that look was directed at Andrew Hanbridge. It couldn't be, could it? Was Akko...

"_No,"_ she yelled internally as her hands began to shake, _"no, it's not possible._"

Diana's notes came out in a jumbled mess as she tried and failed to compose herself, the sudden adrenaline making it impossible for her to steady her hands. Akko furrowed her brows curiously at the sudden change in the blonde's playing and after a few more seconds she stopped playing her guitar and studied the flustered girl in front of her. Diana hadn't stopped playing, though, as if she hadn't heard Akko quit. The brunette stood up slowly and leaned her guitar against the wall before she took a step forward before seeing a single tear fall from Diana's tightly shut eye. Akko's eyes widened and she closed the gap quickly before reaching up hesitantly, gently enclosing her hand around the blonde's. The jumbled notes stopped immediately and the pair stood in silence for a long moment, Diana still clenching her eyes shut while Akko pried the violin and bow out of her shaking hands and hung them up on the wall.

"Diana?" The brunette called out softly, reaching up to cup the blonde's cheek but stopped half way as Diana's eyes opened. Akko's hand fell to her side, clenching the bottom of her t-shirt as she waited for the blonde to say something.

"I...apologize, Akko. I don't think I can continue." Diana's voice was barely above a whisper as she looked down at her hands.

"Oh," Akko nodded slowly and bit her lip as she studied the blonde for a long moment, "that's fine, Diana. We can do this another time."

Diana nodded back and without making eye contact she began to walk quickly toward the exit before the brunette lunged at her and grabbed her hand. The blonde stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around, she simply waited for whatever Akko had to say.

"Will you at least tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Diana said, as formal and as unemotional as she could while breaking down internally. All she wanted to do was get out of this booth, out of this studio, away from Akko.

"But-"

"We'll continue this another day. Please make an appointment with Myra." The blonde successfully ripped her hand out of the brunette's and continued forward, heading out of the booth. She avoided eye contact with Chariot but could feel the older woman's gaze on her until she disappeared through the door of the studio and out into the hallway. Her heels clicked furiously as she walked as quickly as she could in the direction of her office, her thoughts running wildly out of control as she went. She felt sick to her stomach, horrified that she had just treated Akko that way. What if she was just seeing things? What if that smile had meant nothing and she had just ruined what little friendship they had managed to gain back in the week that the brunette had been back in her life? Why was everything so complicated?

* * *

Akko stared in exasperation at the door Diana disappeared through for a long moment, feelings of concern and confusion battled against each other in her mind, neither completely coming out victorious as she slowly gathered her things. After carefully placing her guitar in her case she stepped out of the booth to find Chariot watching her closely with furrowed brows.

"Well," the brunette rubbed her forehead and sighed in slight frustration before looking at the studio door. "that was a thing huh."

"I'm sure she's just having a bad day, Akko. Everyone has them." Chariot replied as she stood from her chair and walked to the door, flashing Akko a reassuring smile as she opened it.

"No, I don't think that's what it is." The brunette mumbled, still not moving through the open doorway. "There's something wrong and I'm going to find out what it is."

"Akko, she probably just needs some time alone. A little personal space."

"Oh Chariot, you know I don't do personal space. What she needs is a hug I'm sure of it." Akko walked past the older woman and into the hallway, thankfully not turning in the direction of Diana's office.

"And I'm going to need a stiff drink." Chariot mumbled to herself as she followed the brunette.

* * *

**I just wanted to say a HUGE special thanks to aweirdlatina and smolmundo for you amazing artwork you did for this fic! You have no idea how much appreciate you and your amazing art.**

**If y'all haven't seen their work please go check them out on tumblr!**

**Thank you for all your support! I love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Isolation_

"_You have five new messages. New message."_

"_Hey Diana, it's me...uh...Akko. I went to the studio today and Hannah told me you weren't feeling well so...I...hope you feel better soon! Heh. Yeah okay...bye."_

"_Message marked for deletion. New message."_

"_Hello Ms. Cavendish, just wanted to let you know that I penciled Ms. Kagari in on Friday at 1:00PM. If that doesn't work for you just let me know and I'll make the changes. Hope you're feeling well."_

"_Message marked for deletion. New message."_

"_Diana, it's Croix. Give me a call when you can, I think we're finally finished with Ritorna Al Cuore. I need you to give it a listen before we move forward."_

"_Message marked for deletion. New message."_

"_Hey, it's Akko again. I...just wanted to see if you were okay. Must be one hell of a sickness huh? A-anyway...I'll see you soon. I hope."_

"_Message marked for deletion. New message."_

"_Diana it's been a week. If you don't call me and or Barb back within the next hour, we are coming to your house! And believe me you are going to get an earfu-"_

"_Message marked for deletion. There are no more messages. Goodbye."_

Diana sighed tiredly and turned her phone off before tossing it onto the bed next to her and leaned her head back against the headboard. She guessed that she couldn't expect anything less when she all but went radio silent this past week. The blonde wished she could blame it all on her illness, that she had a valid reason so have taken a whole week off without an explanation but she really didn't. Ever since Akko returned, her life had been a whirlwind of emotion, she had gotten so overwhelmed with...everything, that she shut down entirely. In truth, Hannah and Barbara had every right to be worried, this wasn't like Diana at all. The blonde had a reputation of overworking herself to physical exhaustion, so taking any time off would be a red flag in the minds of anyone who knew her well.

This was a different kind of exhaustion, though. She was tired. Mentally broken. Angry at herself for acting this way, like a child who can't understand how to deal with their problem so they hide away until it disappears. She wouldn't be able to wallow in her sorry for very long, however, because she suddenly heard a very frantic knocking at her front door.

"That would be Hannah and Barbara." Diana whispered to herself and sighed before sliding out of her bed and walked very slowly out into the hallway. The knocking never stopped, it only got louder and faster the closer the blonde got, making her shake her head and chuckle. She unlocked the door and turned the knob before the door flew open and her two friends spilled in, enveloping her in a hug immediately.

"Diana don't you dare worry us like that ever again!" Barbara whispered as she squeezed the blonde tighter.

"Girls, I'm fine. I told you I'd be taking a short leave." Diana chuckled as she leaned back, attempting to release herself from the pair's grasp.

"A short leave for you is like, taking an afternoon off. Not a whole damn week!" Hannah half shouted as she pulled back and gave the blonde a long once over. "And you look like shit."

"Thank you." Diana arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by the observation.

"When is the last time you've eaten?"

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, only for it to shut again immediately. When had she eaten last? The past week had been a blur, and if she was being honest, she couldn't remember much of what she had done. The time had ticked away as usual, but the hours went by slowly as she had been lost in her own mind, lost in a maze she hadn't yet figured out how to get out of as she mindlessly went about her days.

"Yeah, that answers our question, thanks." Barbara rolled her eyes playfully at Diana before pulling out a bag from behind her back and holding it out for her to see. "Which is why we brought some food for us to eat while you tell us what the hell is going on."

The blonde eyed the bag for a moment before her gaze flitted between her two friends warily.

"I suppose that would be alright."

Hannah and Barbara flashed two bright smiles before making their way into the kitchen and setting the food on the counter. Diana shut the door and followed slowly behind them before taking a seat at the counter and watched as the girls took out the cartons and passed one to her before opening their own. Barbara raided the blonde's drawers for some silverware and passed them out before all three girls began digging into their food in silence. Diana noticed the looks passed between the pair in front of her but held her silence as long as she could, unfortunately for her, however, her friends were not known for their patience.

"So Diana," Hannah started after swallowing a mouthful of food, "will you tell us why you disappeared for a week?"

The blonde stared down at her food, chewing slowly as she contemplated how to answer that question, or where to even start.

"Is it because of Akko? Did she do something?" Barbara asked quietly, attempting to get the conversation moving.

"I swear if she did something-" The auburn haired get started angrily but was promptly cut off.

"No, no she didn't do anything." Diana stated quickly with her hand up before continuing. "She...she just..." she rubbed her forehead, already frustrated with herself for a lack of words she'd been able to get out of her mouth, "I think she...likes...me."

"Well duh." Barbara stated nonchalantly as she took a bite of her food.

"No." The blonde put down her fork and took a deep breath. "I think she likes me...romantically."

"Uh huh." Hannah chimed in and looked at Diana with raised brows. "We know."

"But..." Diana leaned back in her chair and blinked a few times as she watched her friends go about eating their food as if this wasn't a big deal, "how?"

"God you two are like, walking billboards for useless lesbians aren't you?" Hannah's fork clinked to the marble counter top before she rubbed her forehead in annoyance while Barbara snickered next to her. "Look, let's just cut to the chase. You left because Akko likes you?" The auburn haired girl stared at Diana in exasperation.

"Yes. That's...accurate." The blonde winced at how childish it sounded when Hannah said it so simply like that.

"Okay, I'm confused as to how that's a bad thing. We thought you liked her to." Barbara tilted her head and furrowed her brows, now abandoning her food as well.

"I...do." Diana stated hesitantly.

"Sooo...what's the problem?" Hannah asked, her impatience showing through as she stared wide eyed at her friend.

"It's complicated." The blonde shifted uncomfortably in her hair chair under the intense gazes of her friends. "Can we not-"

"No." Hannah shook her head and slowly walked around the counter. "You don't get to shut us out, not again."

"Excuse me?" Diana raised her voice slightly, affronted by being told what she could or couldn't do as she watched the auburn haired girl approach.

"You don't get to shut us out. Or anyone else for that matter." Hannah jabbed a finger into the blonde's shoulder for emphasis.

"I can do whatever the hell I want with the rest of my life." Diana stood and matched glares with her friend.

"Girls-" Barbara started, attempting to defuse the situation but it seemed she hadn't been heard.

"You're right! You can!" Hannah took a step forward, only inches away from the blonde now. "But for the life of me I can't understand why you'd choose to be alone and lonely for the rest of your life! Don't you want to be happy?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why are you running away from Akko?!"

"Because I'm DYING!" Diana shouted, causing Hannah to take a surprised step back. "Because I can not stand the thought of breaking her heart, even if I wouldn't be here to see it. A relationship with me would be pointless because I literally have no future to offer her. I can't..." Each word grew more quiet until she trailed off all together for a long moment. "I just...can't."

The three stood in silence for a long time as each girl fully took in what had just happened, what had just been said. Hannah closed her eyes tightly and took in a deep breath before opening them and fixing the blonde with a determined stare.

"Diana, you deserve to be happy. It's nice that you're thinking about Akko's well being, but have you thought about yourself? You have so many people who care about you. People who are watching you waste an opportunity to make yourself happy." Hannah reached out and rubbed Diana's arm for comfort.

"I can't do that to her, to anyone." The blonde shook her head as she take a step back and hugged herself.

"You're not even giving her a choice in the matter." Barbara chimed in and walked around to join Hannah. "You should let her make that choice. Give her a chance, Diana. _Tell_ her."

Diana's shaking hands, which had been clenching the fabric of her shirt, finally fell to her sides, her heart beat slowing as she felt the tension she'd been carrying for the past week escape her body. She looked at the floor and thought deeply about what they both had said, her head and heart at war with each other as possibilities and consequences swam around furiously in her mind. With out looking up, she spoke again, the words coming out timid and shaky.

"What if she runs?"

"What if she doesn't?" Hannah flashed a small grin, the small gesture successfully relieving some of the blonde's stress instantly.

'_What if she doesn't?" _The words played over again and again in Diana's mind as the room grew silent again for a long time. Hannah and Barbara waited patiently for her to organize her thoughts, the pair going back to their food and watching the blonde closely. Diana sat down in the seat she'd abandoned just minutes before and rested her elbows on the cold marble as she thought. If she was being honest, if Akko ran, it would not be any different than the blonde herself pushing the girl away. Was there really a possibility that she wouldn't? Her friend's were right of course, she wouldn't really know until she came clean about her condition, but if there was a chance, a chance to be happy, she needed to take it. Because for her, there was no second chance.

* * *

_**One week later...**_

"_Nice of you to show up finally." Amanda stood from the chair she was occupying in the dressing room of the arena they'd be performing in that night. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago." The redhead narrowed her eyes angrily at the brunette who had just stumbled in through the door with an entourage of cute girls._

"_Pff...calm your tits red. I'm here in time aren't I?" Akko smirked and walked past Amanda while rolling her eyes before sitting down clumsily into her designated chair in front of a large mirror. _

"_Are you drunk?" The redhead inquired angrily, stomping over to loom over the brunette. "Akko we talked about this!"_

"_I...am the leader of this band." Akko stood up, wobbling a bit before regaining her balance. "And I can do whatever the hell I want to do. If you don't like it you can leave." The brunette stepped closer in an attempt to appear intimidating. _

_Amanda, however, only laughed bitterly and shook her head before turning around and walking toward the door, waving for the rest of the band to follow. _

"_Where are you going? We're not finished!" Akko shouted as she watched her friends file out the door until Amanda was the only one left._

"_God, you're so damn selfish." The redhead said sadly before looking straight into the brunette's glazed over crimson eyes. "We can't do this anymore, Akko."_

"_But...what about the show?"_

"_I'm sure you'll figure it out. Since it seems like you don't need us anymore." Amanda turned and walked through the doorway and began to close the door but pausing for just a moment. "We wish you the best of luck."_

Akko shot up in her bed, startled and sweating heavily before wincing at the bright light coming through the window, drowning her hotel room in sunlight. Her head pounded relentlessly, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest and her breathing shallow as she tried calming herself down from the nightmare she was all too familiar with. Not only was the memory a constant reminder of how badly she'd screwed up in the past, but even sleep did nothing to relieve her from the guilt and regret. She let her body fall back until her head hit her pillow before closing her eyes again and breathing deeply.

"Nightmare?"

The sudden voice made Akko jump slightly, her eyes shot open and she turned her head to find Chariot sitting at the table with her laptop in front of her.

"Oh. I didn't realize you were here." The brunette croaked out, her mouth and throat bone dry.

"I got back into town last night." The older woman sighed before fixing Akko with an annoyed stare. "You don't remember anything from last night do you."

The brunette just shook head, wincing at the pain in her head that throbbed more violently with any kind of movement. When her vision became less blurry, she noticed the bottle of water and medicine on the small table next to the bed and suddenly a wave of guilt ran through her. She just stared at the objects for a long moment, the amount of times she's woken up like this, woken up with no idea of what had happened the night before, woken up as a burden to somebody else was too many to count, and she hated herself for it.

"Akko, what's going on with you?" Chariot softly inquired, tone full of concern as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She picked up the bottle of water and medicine off of the small table and held them out for Akko to take, which she did after the girl sat up slowly in bed.

"Nothing." Akko mumbled before throwing four pills into her mouth and taking a large drink of her water. It was obviously a lie, she also knew that Chariot knew it was a lie. But the brunette was hoping that the older woman would take pity on her and leave the subject be, but the arched brow of her manager told her that the conversation was far from over.

"You know that I know when you're lying right? I always have. You're terrible at it." Chariot said with an amused smile as she folded her arms and waited patiently for Akko to give her an explanation.

"So I've been told." The brunette grumbled before sighing tiredly and fidgeting with the blanket between her fingers. "I thought...I don't know, like this is where I belonged. I'm just not so sure anymore." She cast her eyes down to her lap as Chariot looked on in surprise.

"Why?" Was all the older woman could get out as she reached out and lifted the brunette's chin in order to see her crimson eyes again. "What happened?"

"Diana doesn't want me." The words slipped before she could think about it, her eyes widening slightly before continuing. "I mean, the...song. I...don't think she wants to do the song."

"And why do you think that?" Chariot's lips twitched in an attempt to hold back a smile at the girl's slip up. Akko's feelings for Diana were no secret to her, or anyone else who had seen them together, but if the brunette wasn't ready to talk about that, the older woman wouldn't push her.

"I thought we were friends again. We were having fun and...well I was, I thought she was." Akko furrowed her brows as she thought back over the weeks since she'd arrived. "I don't know, she just disappeared and won't return my calls, or my texts. Barbara told me she was sick, and I believed her, but I have a feeling that...that she's trying to avoid me or something."

Chariot's small smile faded as she watched the Japanese girl bring her legs up to her chest and hug them, shrinking into herself like a scared child. The older woman had seen a lot of different versions of Akko over the years but she's never seen the girl look so utterly defeated, and it broke her heart. She couldn't take it.

"Akko, stand up." Chariot commanded, standing up off of the edge of the bed and looking down at the now confused brunette.

"What?"

"Stand up. Stand up stand up stand up."

"Okay okay!" Akko shouted, waving her arm in surrender as she grasped her head with other hand. "Jesus, Chariot." She grumbled as she ever so slowly rolled out of the bed and stood up facing the older woman. "Okay, what?"

"I'm not going to let you do this." Chariot stated resolutely, as if reprising her role as an authority figure.

"Do what?" Akko's eyebrows raised in question.

"This!" The older woman gestured toward the brunette and continued. "Feeling sorry for yourself! Drinking until you black out every night! I'm not going to let you give up this time, Akko."

Akko stared at her for a long moment, slightly taken aback by what the woman had just shouted at her. She'd be lying if she said she didn't notice a pattern throughout her life, this is what she always did. The brunette looked at the floor in front of her as she chewed her bottom lip, not having any words to counter the painfully true statements.

"I don't know what's going on with Diana, for all we know she _was_ just ill for the past week. But if you honestly believe she's thinking about not doing the song, you need to at least fight for what you want." Chariot's tone softened immensely as she took a step forward. "No more quitting, no more running away at the first sign of trouble. If you want Diana, go get her. Or you are going to look back on this for the rest of your life wondering what could have been. Believe me, Akko, I know."

Finally the brunette's gaze raised to find a warm smile on the older woman's face, although she could see a slight sadness in her eyes. She ran her fingers through her wild hair before letting out a long shaky breath as she let the words sink in. Chariot was right, of course, she always was. Akko knew her life might be a little less miserable if she'd listened to the woman's advice in the past but she had been too proud, too selfish to even consider her words. Better late than never? Maybe.

"I don't...I don't know what to do. She won't answer her phone."

"Then go to her." Chariot said with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okaaay, how do I do that when I don't know where she is?" Akko fixed the woman with an unimpressed stare, making Chariot chuckle softly.

"I'll take care of that. You just figure out how you're going to get the girl." The woman winked, a smirk painted on her lips as the brunette's cheeks were overtaken by a slight blush.

"Y-yeah, right. O-okay." Akko stuttered out as she scratched her cheek before turning away and quickly walking toward the bathroom without another word.

Chariot's shoulders shook in silent laughter as she watched the girl enter the bathroom and slam the door behind her. After she shook her head and let out a long sigh, she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through her contacts before quickly finding the number she was looking for.

"This is a terrible idea." She whispered to herself as she pressed the call button before putting the phone up to her ear and making her way out of the hotel room. She waited in the hallway as the other end of the line rang and rang, but just when she was about to hang up someone answered.

"_Hello?"_

Chariot froze at the sound of the voice on the other end. She was right, this was a terrible idea.

"_Helloo?"_

"H-hey Croix. It's Chariot." She finally breathed out, smacking her forehead softly in exasperation at herself. It was silent on the other end for a while, long enough that Chariot had to look at her phone to make sure the call was still connected.

"Croix?"

"_Yes, h-hello Chariot."_

"Hi."

Awkward silence.

"_How are you?"_

"Good. Great!" Chariot said a little too loudly. "A-and you?"

"_I'm doing well, thank you."_

More awkward silence.

"_Sooo did you...need something?"_

Oh. Right.

"Yes, I called to...ask for a favor."

* * *

Diana's azure eyes focused on the worn pages of her favorite book as she sat comfortably on her sofa, the dim light of the sunset flooded the room around her as the last light of the day faded away. She read and reread the sentences until the black letters began to all blur together as she was finding it difficult to focus. She closed the book hard and tossed it aside before removing her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose in irritation. Ever since she had agreed to tell Akko what was going on, it was all she could think about. She had come up with a speech in her mind, had practiced what she was going to say over and over...and over again. Yet she had taken another week off, being too much of a coward to confront the object of her affection. How many times had she picked up her phone to reply to the many messages the brunette had left, she didn't know. It was a lot. Akko was ever present in her mind, a permanent fixture that never failed to remind Diana of how much she missed her, how much she wanted to see her face or hear her beautiful voice. And then the anxiety would set in.

The blonde rubbed her tired eyes and checked the time on her phone, seeing that it was still too early to go to sleep before her stomach growled loudly. That's right, food was a thing. With a sigh, she put her glasses back on and stood before walking to her kitchen and opening the fridge to look over the contents inside, or rather, the lack of contents. It seemed she had forgotten to stock up on groceries this week, again. She closed the door a little more roughly than she intended before looking over the many take out menus hanging on the stainless steel of the refrigerator. Suddenly there came a loud knock on her door, making Diana jump slightly in surprise before she furrowed her brows and waited. Maybe if she didn't make any noise they would go away, thinking she wasn't home. It was too much to hope for apparently because the knocking came again. So the blonde crept to the door and looked through the peep hole to find the last person she was expecting to be standing on her porch.

"Oh my god." She whispered before looking around her house and then at the clothes she was wearing in horror. Of course she'd choose to lounge around in sweatpants and a t-shirt on the day that Akko would randomly show up at her house. In a panic, she ran into the living room where there was a small mirror hanging on the wall and checked her hair. It looked terrible. Of course it did. Another series of knocks came from the door as Diana pulled the hair tie off of her wrist that she'd placed there earlier and clumsily began to put her hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Hold on a moment please." She called out loudly as she placed some loose strands of hair behind her ears and checked herself over one more time before groaning to herself and jogging back over to the door. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she reached out and opened the door slowly to reveal a nervous looking brunette holding some brown paper bags and her guitar strapped onto her back. "Akko, w-what a surprise."

Akko opened her mouth to speak but stopped as she gave Diana a once over, a smile slowly growing as she took in the blonde's appearance. Diana swallowed nervously and her face began to heat up when the brunette finished and smiled in amusement.

"I wasn't expecting guests-"

"No!" Akko giggled before her smile turned into one of adoration. "You look very cute. That's all."

Diana's cheeks were no doubt the color of Akko's eyes after that observation. The blonde cleared her throat and looked at anything that wasn't the brunette as she shifted slightly on her feet.

"M-may I ask why you're here, Akko?"

"Oh," Akko shook her head slightly and looked down at the bag she held in her arms, "yeah, I thought since you were...sick," her gaze flitted up to Diana's for a second before continuing, "I'd bring some things and we could...hang out?" The brunette smiled hopefully at the blonde, who looked back at her and the bags in surprise.

"You want to...hang out?"

"Y-yeah. If...only if you want to. It's fine if you don't I just haven't seen you in a while and I thought we could get together and just do whatever because I-"

"Akko," Diana chuckled as she put her hand up, successfully halting Akko's ramblings. "I would like that. Come in."

The bright smile coming from the brunette was a sight for the blonde's sore eyes, the automatic warmth it caused was felt immediately, a welcome change to the emptiness Diana had been feeling for the past two weeks. She stepped aside and allowed Akko to walk past her and into the house before she closed the door behind them and escorted the brunette to the kitchen. Akko set the paper bags on the marble counter top before she started unpacking them one item at a time.

"Well I wasn't sure what kind of sickness you had" She started as she pulled a bottle of bourbon, a jar of honey and a lemon from the first bag, "but I brought some things to make a hot toddy for you." After Akko set the ingredients down, she looked up to see Diana smiling at her in amusement. "O-or, just...bourbon, if that's not...what you need." She mumbled as she began to open the other bag with a slight blush on her face. "And I brought some food. Um..." first she took out a large Styrofoam cup, "some soup, because the...sickness. And then, some other things." Akko pulled out various cartons and containers and piled them on the counter while Diana watched with raised eyebrows.

"That's...a lot of food." The blonde smiled, trying to contain the laughter bubbling up in her chest.

"Yeeeah. I wasn't sure what you liked so I went to a few different places." The brunette smiled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck.

"That's very thoughtful, Akko. Thank you."

"Heh." Akko's nervous smile turned into an uncharacteristically shy one as she shrugged the guitar case off of her shoulders and opened the front pocket before clearing her throat. "A-and while we eat, I thought we could watch a movie so I brought a few."

Diana sat down on the bar stool and leaned over the counter, adjusting her glasses before looking over the collection of movies the brunette was pulling out. Movies ranging from animation to horror were place onto the marble, sprawled out for the blonde to see. If she was being honest, she wasn't much of a movie person, or a TV person in general, so it was no surprise she had never seen any of them before.

"You've never seen any of these before have you." Akko said, breaking Diana's concentration.

"No. I have not."

"Okay." The brunette laughed and looked the movies over herself. "What's your favorite genre?"

"I suppose if I had to choose a favorite," The blonde started, blushing slightly before she continued, "probably romance."

Akko's lips twitched as she attempted to hold back a smirk while looking at Diana with her eyes full of amusement. The blonde caught on and her rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before leaning over and grabbing the bottle of bourbon before standing up and walking to a small bar area.

"I have a feeling I'm going to need a little bit of this if I have to deal with you all night." Diana grinned to herself when she heard the snickering coming from Akko behind her. A moment later she could feel the brunette's presence beside her as she poured two glasses. "At least you have good taste in bourbon. Movies, not so much." She picked up a glass and offered it to Akko, who took it and stared down at the dark liquid for a moment before setting her gaze on the blonde once more.

"To good food and shitty movies then?" The brunette held up her glass, waiting for Diana to do the same. The blonde looked at Akko for a moment longer before laughing softly and holding her own glass up.

"And to good company."

They clinked their glasses together and took a sip of the alcohol, both girls sighing contently afterwards before Diana retrieved some plates from her cabinets and they began spooning food onto their dishes. Akko picked the most romantic movie she had, which also happened to be a comedy because how could you have romance without comedy? At least those were the only kind of romances the brunette could stand to watch. So after the movie was in and the food was dished, the pair sat down on the sofa, their plates in front of them on the coffee table as they proceeded to try to watch the selected movie. But after their food and a second and third glass...maybe a fourth glass of alcohol, both girls were having a hard time focusing on anything but talking to each other about anything that would randomly pop into their heads as the scenes from the television provided only background noise now.

"Alright Ms. Kagari," Diana clumsily turned on the couch to sit cross legged, taking care not to spill her newly filled glass of bourbon, "this is a serious question, and your answer will decide whether or not we can still be friends." The blonde stared intensely into crimson eyes for a long moment while the tension built. "Who is your favorite spice girl?"

"What?" Akko snorted before laughing so hard she almost fell off of the couch.

"This is serious, Akko." Diana arched her brow, able to hold back her own laughter in favor of a cool and calm expression. This only made the brunette laugh harder.

"Okay, okay." Akko managed to calm herself down before wiping a few tears from her eyes. "My favorite spice girl is...the blonde one. Baby...spice?"

"Really." The blonde narrowed her eyes slightly at the brunette who was still shaking with silent laughter. "May I ask why?"

"Because...blondes are my type?" Akko smiled as innocently as she could before Diana began to laugh finally and shook her head in disbelief. "Did I pass, can we still be friends?"

"That remains to be seen." The blonde replied playfully before taking a drink of her alcohol. "Your turn."

"Oookay." Akko mirrored Diana on the couch as she sat cross legged, their knees brushing up against each other whenever they moved. "What is your favorite Believing Hearts song?"

"Believing Hearts?" The blonde's eyebrows raised. "Who are they?"

Akko snorted again before taking a drink of her bourbon, but her smile soon faded when Diana's expression didn't change.

"You're kidding me right?" The brunette's jaw dropped when the blonde only shrugged. "My band! You...you've never listened to my band?"

"Oh you were in a band? That's nice." Diana brought her glass up to her lips but couldn't keep up the act as she smiled, her shoulders shaking slightly in laughter. Akko, who had been in utter distress watched as the blonde's act faded and visibly relaxed before beginning to laugh as well.

"Un...believable." She chuckled as she set her empty glass down onto the coffee table. "So do you have a favorite song?"

"Hmm..." Diana pursed her lips as she thought, dragging her pointer finger over the top of her glass in slow circles, "if I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be...Always Been You."

"Really?" Akko smiled and tilted her head curiously as the blonde just nodded. The band's slower songs had never been the most popular with their fans since they were known for their upbeat, fast paced music. The brunette had a hard time convincing the record label that putting the song on there album was the right move. Whether or not it was true, she still didn't know. But she had always loved that song, so finding out it was Diana's favorite was quite a surprise. "Hold on." Akko jumped up off of the couch, taking a minute to regain her balance in her tipsy state before walking quickly to grab her guitar and pulling it out. She returned to the couch and sat as close to Diana as she could without bumping her guitar in to the other girl.

"What are you doing?" Diana arched an eyebrow as Akko began a quick tune.

"I'm going to play you your favorite song, of course."

"Akko, you don't have to." The blonde shook her head as she put down her own glass.

"I know, but I _want_ to." The brunette smiled warmly at the girl beside her as she started picking at the strings. It was a slow and simple melody, but beautiful nonetheless, especially when Akko began to sing quietly along with her instrument.

_What if we started over and I could've seen_

_What was lying uncovered and hiding underneath_

_It tears me apart knowing how _

_I'm only just now finding out_

Diana couldn't help but stare at Akko in adoration as the girl sang. The emotion in her voice had always reduced the blonde to mere putty but sitting next to the brunette as she sang to her was almost more than she could bare. Akko turned to lock eyes with the blonde as she began the chorus, as if pouring her heart and soul out for Diana to see and hear.

_It's always been you_

_It's always been you_

_Every word is true_

_It's always been you_

Akko continued but the music and the words faded in the blonde's ears as she stared, fighting a sudden urged to reach out and touch the brunette, to take her into her arms, to kiss her. She'd waited so long for a moment like this, and whether it be the liquid courage or the song, she knew she couldn't hold out any longer, her heart couldn't take it. Without even realizing it, she slowly began to lean forward as Akko turned to her again.

_Is it too late to make you mine?_

_Tell me there's still time_

The last note rang out as Diana and Akko gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment until silence filled the air of the room. Neither spoke nor moved apart from the rapid rise and fall of their chests.

"Akko?"

"Yeah?" Akko whispered in response, noticing Diana's eyes flicker downward for a millisecond, causing a chill run down her spine.

"May I kiss you?"

The brunette just nodded dumbly in response as a jolt of anticipation ran through her body at the sight of Diana inching closer and closer until their noses nearly touched. The blonde paused, bringing her hand up to caress Akko's cheek as they felt the fire between them build until neither could stand it anymore. Both leaned in at once until their lips touched for the first time and both pairs of eyelids fluttered shut as they began to move in sync. Slowly and hesitant at first until Akko quicken their pace, her hands grasping the sides of Diana's t-shirt tightly as she attempted to lean in closer into the blonde while Diana's free hand made it's way around Akko's neck. Their soft moans rang out in the otherwise silent room, however, neither would know over the sound of their quickly beating hearts in their ears. Soon, too soon, both girls were in desperate need of air so reluctantly they pulled away before leaning their foreheads into each other while breathing heavily in an attempt to regain the breath that had been stolen from them.

"You're shaking." Akko whispered as she slowly opened her eyes to find bright blues staring back at her longingly.

"You have no idea...how long I've waited to kiss you." Diana whispered back shakily, her breathing still shallow.

The brunette grinned toothily before leaning in and brushing her lips up against the blonde's impossibly soft ones once more.

"I think I do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Secrets_

Diana woke up to a slight stirring beneath her, her eyes fluttering open to see a colorful tattooed arm blocking her view of anything else. The room was bright, rays of the morning sun showing through the windows whose curtains had not been closed the night before. As she attempted to orientate herself to her surroundings she smelled the fading scent of a fruity perfume wafting off of the figure beneath her, inviting her to lay here just a little longer. She took a deep breath and sighed in content before tilting her head back to find Akko still fast asleep, her head propped up on the padded arm of the blonde's sofa. Diana smiled at the sight before beginning to trace the Japanese inspired tattoos on the brunette's upper arm and shoulder, wondering if there were any stories behind them. As she traced the scales of the bright koi fish, Akko's chest rose significantly as she let out a loud yawn before stretching her arms out wide, halting Diana's chosen form of morning entertainment. Sleepy crimson eyes found the blonde's bright blues as they smiled warmly at each other.

"Good morning." Diana said softly as she nuzzled into Akko's chest. The brunette reached up and moved a few stray locks of blonde hair behind Diana's ear before replying.

"Good morning beautiful."

Diana's face instantly grew hot, a deep blush quickly making it's way onto her cheeks and ears as she groaned and turned her head to bury her face in the fabric of Akko's tank top. The brunette chuckled sleepily and wrapped the embarrassed girl up in her arms before closing her eyes again.

"Akko, you can't just-" Diana's muffled words were stopped by the buzzing of a phone on the coffee table. The blonde turned her head to see that it was her phone before she laid her head down once more, ignoring the vibrating object.

"You gonna get that?" Akko asked as she watched the phone shift slightly with every vibration until it stopped all together. "Guess not."

"It can wait." Diana mumbled as she put her arm around the brunette's waist and squeezed.

Silence filled the room once again as the two girls just enjoyed being in the presence of one another, the relaxing morning welcome after some rather stressful weeks for the both of them. Not even a minute later Diana's phone began buzzing again, causing the blonde to groan and reach over Akko's body to grab the offending object before looking at the screen.

"Oh no." Diana mumbled as she scrambled to disentangle herself from the brunette. "No no no."

"What?" Akko furrowed her brows in concern as she sat up a little more straight on the sofa.

"I had a doctor appointment this morning. I completely forgot." The blonde was finally able to stand up off of the couch and pressed the answer button before bringing the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" She began to pace back and forth as she listened to the person on the other end. "Yes, I apologize I must have...forgotten to set my alarm for this morning." Diana glanced at Akko who still looked at her in concern. "Of course, I will be there as soon as possible, thank you." She ended the call and without thinking she began to walk quickly toward the hallway that led to her bedroom before Akko spoke up.

"Wait, so...you really were sick?"

Diana stopped in her tracks, her hand tightening around her phone before she closed her eyes tightly. _'Damn it!'_ she screamed internally as her mind raced, trying to come up with some sort of explanation. They couldn't have this conversation right now, there was no time.

She wasn't ready.

"Yes" was all Diana could think to say before all but jogging down the hallway and into her bedroom.

Akko watched as she went before slumping back against the couch, mentally kicking herself. Diana had really been sick and all she thought about was herself for the past two weeks.

"God, I am a selfish jerk." She whispered to herself bitterly before standing up off of the couch and gathering her things.

Before she could put on her shoes, Diana reappeared, completely dressed and in a panic, quickly grabbing her keys and wallet out of the large, decorative bowl on the counter top before turning to the brunette and pausing. She fidgeted with the items in her hand nervously for a moment as her mouth opened and closed a few times.

"Don't worry, I'll get my shoes on real quick and get out of here."

"No! Uh..." Diana looked to the door and then checked the time on her phone before continuing, "Akko, would you mind…staying here until I return? I have something I need to discuss with you."

"Um..." the brunette furrowed her brows at the fidgeting blonde, "sure. I guess I can mess around on my guitar for a bit, or whatever."

"Right. Soo..." Diana cleared her throat as the air between them filled with awkward silence before she quickly walked over to where Akko sat on the sofa and leaned over, pressing her lips gently against the brunette's.

Akko's eyelids fluttered shut as she leaned into the contact, wishing she could pull the blonde in and never let her go. Too quickly, Diana broke the kiss before turning and disappearing out her front door without another word. The brunette sat there staring at the door for a long moment, a lopsided smile graced her lips as she slumped back into the couch and got comfortable. It seemed she'd be here for a while. It didn't take more than a couple minutes of her sitting in the silent room alone to render her utterly bored. Akko stood and stretched her limbs that had become stiff due to sleeping on the sofa over night before she began to walking around the room, glancing at the simple décor until a few shelves and some pictures hanging on the wall caught her eye.

The brunette stopped and looked over the many awards hang there, one of them being the award she'd been presented with at the academy. The one Akko failed to see her receive because...well, she couldn't even remember _why_ she had missed it. That familiar twinge of guilt and self hatred wormed it's way through her as she stared for a little longer than necessary until she shook her head slightly and averted her eyes to the next thing, a small picture in a frame sitting on one of the shelves. The sides of the brunette's mouth quirked up into a small smile when she recognized the picture as the same one she kept in her photo album. She and Diana looked so happy in the picture with smiles bright enough to rival the sun on the brightest day of summer. Akko's smile fell, then, when she realized she hadn't smiled that bright since that time in her life, and as she scanned the other pictures of Diana with various people she didn't recognize, she quickly came to the conclusion that the blonde hadn't smiled that bright in a long time either. The brunette knew a fake smile when she saw one, she had mastered her own when her life had begun to fall apart. Suddenly a large yawn escaped her mouth and she realized how tired she was, not having her morning dose of caffeine yet. With one last glance at the happy picture, she turned and made her way to Diana's kitchen and began to make coffee, thinking the blonde wouldn't mind. If Akko didn't have her coffee, Diana would be coming home to a very grumpy house guest after all.

After making the coffee and playing on her phone for a while while she sipped it, the brunette sighed in boredom and reached for her guitar which was still propped up against the arm of the couch. Her mind automatically returned to the night before as she began to play 'Always Been You', strumming absentmindedly as she went over the lyrics in her head instead of singing them out loud. It almost seemed like fate, if she was being honest, that this was Diana's favorite song of hers. What if Akko had realized back then that the blonde felt the way she did, if the brunette herself realized that her feelings might have been more than platonic. It seemed that her mind had subconsciously known, as the inspiration for this song had seemingly come out of nowhere when Akko had began writing it. With a long sigh, she stopped playing and let her back hit the soft cushion of the couch as the last note faded away into silence. She stared at the ceiling as she thought about the song she been working on with Diana, well, on her own for the past two weeks, and she hated to admit that she hadn't made much progress. Music came easy to her, the lyrics were the problem. She had at least fifty memos saved on her phone with random lines, hoping one day she'd be able to put some of them together to make...something not terrible. She had doubted herself, though, when Diana disappeared and her inspiration disappeared along with her. It made sense, the blonde_ was _her inspiration. But she was back now and Akko didn't feel alone anymore, she wasn't alone anymore.

"I'm not alone anymore." She mumbled to herself as her mind suddenly started racing. "That's it."

Akko sat up quickly and began playing the melody she'd come up with for their song before she began singing the words that were coming to her.

"Let me be the one who never leaves you all alone..." she smiled at that line as she adjusted her fingers on the strings and continued, "I hold my breath and lose the feeling that I'm on my own. Hold me too tight, stay by my side. Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time." Akko stopped again, now grinning toothily at the lyrics she'd come up with before reaching for her phone quickly only to find that it was completely dead.

"Shit." She groaned as she looked around for any kind of notepad, a spare piece of paper, a pen she could write on her hand with, anything! "What the hell, who keeps their house so clean!" She muttered loudly as she stood and retreated to the kitchen before raiding the drawers. Still finding nothing she started chewing on her bottom lip as she thought, knowing she needed to find something quickly to write on before she forgot the lyrics she'd come up with. "An office maybe?"

The brunette looked toward the hallway for what seemed like a few minutes as she contemplated if it would be a good idea to go snooping around Diana's house. It's not like she was actually snooping for snooping sake, she just needed a damn piece of paper and a pen for crying out loud! She decided the blonde would forgive her so she slowly entered the hallway and was met by multiple doors on each side. The first door she knew was the bathroom already so she moved to the next, which she found out was a spare bedroom, a very empty spare bedroom. She must not have many guests. Akko closed the door and moved to the next, opening it slowly as if someone might be on the other side, and grinned when she realized she found what she was looking for. The home office was as immaculate as the rest of the house, everything organized and straightened perfectly on the desk and shelves against the wall. The brunette tiptoed in and took care not to touch anything she shouldn't as she looked around, hoping a notepad and pen would be in sight. She wouldn't have to look far thankfully, because sitting there on the desk was a notepad with a pen sitting right there on top.

"Ha!" Akko exclaimed as she picked the objects up, only now noticing a couple things written on the first page. She didn't mean to read them, of course, it just kind of happened. "Tattoo, magic show, kiss in the rain." The brunette mumbled to herself as she furrowed her brows for moment before she shrugged and ripped out the second page, which was blank. But before setting the notepad down, she caught sight of the paper that had been beneath it, rather, she noticed the emblem at the top of the papers. She knew that emblem well, being as clumsy as she was, she'd seen that emblem on the wall of the hospital lobby more than a few times. Now Akko was not dumb, she knew that you wouldn't receive papers like this for a simple sickness, this must have been worse than she had imagined, whatever it was. Almost as if she was in a trance, she reached down toward the documents until her fingers were only centimeters away before pausing and pulling away quickly as if she'd been burned. The brunette rubbed the back of her neck and groaned.

"Akko, no. You...can't." She chastised herself before dropping the notepad on the desk, gripping the spare paper and pen in her hand tight while she turned to walked to the door. She reached out for the doorknob and paused, glancing back at the desk as she chewed her bottom lip. _'__If it were something serious, she would have told me right?'_ she thought as she stood frozen in place. _'__No. Why would she? It's not like we're...' _ her thoughts trailed off before she swallowed hard and took a deep breath, turning back to the door and finally gripping the handle. "God damn it." She growled as she turned again toward the desk, this time walking over to it quickly and moving the notebook aside hastily before picking up the stack of papers and her eyes began scanning over them.

_Patient Name: Diana B. Cavendish_

"Well that's obvious."

She scanned a little further down, passing over the patient ID and the name of the doctor until she found something of interest.

"So it's a blood test." She muttered to herself. _'Okay, that's not so-' _

_...Stage lV Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia…_

Akko's breath hitched, or rather, she quit breathing all together. She couldn't move, paralyzed aside from the involuntary shaking that began in her hand and quickly traveled throughout the rest of her body. Her eyes began to burn as she couldn't bring herself to blink as she read and reread those words over and over...and over again. When she finally did blink, a stream of tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the documents in her hand, the pool at the corners of her eyes overflowing after building up for the past minute.

"She has cancer?" She breathed out, as she let the papers fall back down to the desk haphazardly before backing away from the desk slowly, her breaths coming shallow now as her mind began to race out of control. _'__NO NO NO NO' _she screamed internally as she fumbled with the doorknob before finally getting it to turn with her shaking hand before she pulled the door open swiftly, not bothering to close it behind her and walked quickly down the hallway into the main living area. Her mind was in a fog and her heart pounded violently in her ears as she gathered her things, stuffing her guitar in it's case clumsily. In any other instance she would have chewed herself out for treating her most prized possession in such a way, but right now it didn't matter. What mattered was getting out of here as fast as possible, getting far away from here before Diana came back. How could she face her now? How could she look in those perfect blue eyes without completely breaking down in front of the woman she loved? She was barely holding it together as it was. Her heart couldn't take anymore, not today. As the flow of tears continued, she pulled the strap of her guitar case over her shoulder and jogged to the door but as she reached out for the handle to make her escape, she heard keys and a click come from the other side. Akko's eyes went wide in horror, pulling her hand away and taking a step back as the door slowly opened. Diana entered absentmindedly before jumping in surprise when she almost ran into the Japanese girl. She put her hand over her heart and sighed in relief as she closed the door behind her.

"Akko, you scared me." The blonde chuckled softly before her eyes widened slightly at seeing the look of utter horror painted on Akko's face and the tear streaks down the girl's cheeks. "Akko what's wrong?" Diana rushed forward and wipe the tears away, furrowing her brows when the brunette just stood still as a statue. "What happened?"

"I..." Akko choked out, her right hand grabbing her left arm before she looked to the floor, retreating in on herself. "I was looking for some paper in your office...and I saw..." she trailed off as swallowed the knot in her throat, finding it hard to do as her mouth and throat had become bone dry. "Why didn't you tell me, Diana?"

"Tell you..." Diana trailed off in confusion when suddenly she realized what Akko must have seen. Her eyes went wide as she took a step back, hugging herself and grasping the sides of her shirt tight.

The silence lingered between them for too long as neither girl could find it in themselves to look up from the floor. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Diana had practiced a speech over and over again, thought of every possible reaction Akko could have had, ever response she could have received, and here they stand, the brunette breaking in front of her and Diana having no idea how to fix it, nothing she could possibly say to make this hurt less.

"Akko, I'm sick." The blonde whispered shakily as a few tears dropped to the floor. "I'm...I'm dying."

Akko looked up quickly that last word, shock written all over her face.

"No." She gasped, voice cracking as she shook her head. "No. What about treatments? Something! There has be something-"

"I've tried." Diana spoke weakly as she looked up. "Akko, I've stopped responding to the treatments."

Akko let out a sob and turned around as she rubbed the back of her neck, slowly shifting on her feet as she took the information in. Diana was frozen, she wanted so badly to reach out and take the brunette into her arms but she couldn't move, her body wouldn't cooperate.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Akko asked again, voice raw and raspy from attempting to hold back her tears before looking back to see pained azure eyes staring back at her in disbelief.

"You show up out of the blue a month ago, you expect me to just tell you everything about my life?" Diana shook her head in exasperation as the brunette dropped her gaze to the floor again. "Akko, I was doing fine. I accepted everything. I was living out my life normally like the doctor told me to and then you showed up and..." the blonde trailed off, her desperation disappearing as she wiped the few tears that had fallen, "and then you happened...and everything changed." She finished with a whisper.

"So the past few weeks..." Akko croaked out as she forced herself to look up, "why?"

Diana fixed the brunette with a contemplative stare. She stayed silent for a long moment while she thought about the question she'd been trying to answer herself.

"Because I know what it's like to lose someone you love, Akko. It's...I...didn't want that for you. I didn't want you to feel that sort of pain."

"So you decided to just...push me away?" The brunette asked a little louder, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Without telling me why?"

"I thought that it was for the best." Diana shouted, her voice cracking.

"You don't get to decide what's best for me Diana!" Akko shouted back, surprising even herself at the volume.

Both girls just stared at each other, a multitude of emotions flashing in their eyes as their chest's rose and fell quickly. After a long moment of palpable tension the blonde sighed, defeated. This was too much for her, too much to handle right now.

"I think you should go." Diana stated weakly, averting her gaze to the floor as she hugged herself once more.

"Diana-"

"Go. Please...just go."

Akko didn't move for a few moments, but relented when Diana retreated even further into herself. The brunette nodded sadly before walking past the blonde and disappearing through the door without another word. Diana turned and locked it before resting her forehead on the dark wood as she began sobbing. Slowly she turned around and slid down the length of the door until she hit the floor before bringing her knees to her chest. She buried her face in her knees as she continued to cry, wishing she make this all go away, wishing she could just disappear from this world, wishing this was all just a horrible dream she could wake up from.

* * *

Akko drove. She drove and drove, not really knowing where she was going. She was numb, feeling nothing but emptiness as if all of her emotions had been consumed by the black hole now occupying the place where her heart had been just hours earlier. With her eyes trained solely on the road in front of her she failed to see the open country passing by her, the rolling green hills nothing but a blur in her peripherals as her mind continued to repeat the earlier conversation over and over again. All she could think about was the pained look on Diana's face as she said those two words. Akko could almost feel her heart tear apart when she heard them, the words that will surely haunt her in her dreams.

'_I'm dying.'_

Diana was dying.

Just thinking about it caused Akko's stomach to turn, it was a nightmare worse than the ones she battled with on a nightly basis. At least with those, she could wake up to end the misery. She would never wake up from this. Why Diana? Why did it have to be the only person in the world that made her feel like herself, like she belonged? Someone so kind and caring and…

Akko growled, clenching her teeth as she cursed any deity that may exist for letting something like this happen. It wasn't fair. What was she going to do? What was she going to say when she returned? If she returned.

"Where am I going?" She mumbled as buildings began to pass by once more, squinting her eyes to make out any signs to decipher just where she'd ended up.

The small town looked vaguely familiar as she slowed down and looked back and forth at the buildings on either side of the main street. A shop here, a restaurant there, a few places she swore she'd been to but for the life of her she couldn't figure why she'd been here, or where here even was. She leaned over and pushed a few buttons on the car's navigation system she'd yet to use before it showed her the exact location she was in. Her eyebrows raised as she read the name of the small town she had indeed been to before, because someone she'd been very close to for a very long time had a home here hat she'd stayed at for a few months once when she'd been in between tours with her band. Akko chewed on her lip for a moment as she noticed the sun beginning to set over the hills in the distance, wondering what she should do now. It turned out she'd been driving for hours, so lost in her own mind that she had subconsciously driven toward the last person she'd ever thought she wanted to see, but she could admit that she needed someone to talk to before the bottom of a whiskey bottle became more appealing than it already was. After a long sigh, Akko pulled over to the side of the road and slid her phone out of her pocket before attempting to turn it on, only now remembering that it had died that morning.

"Damn it. That's right." She grumbled to herself before leaning forward to let her forehead make contact with the steering wheel a little more roughly than she'd meant it but she didn't care. She doubted any degree of physical pain she could incur wouldn't compare in the slightest to the internal agony she was suffering through.

Akko sat there for...she didn't know how long as the day grew darker and darker until the street lights turned on automatically. What caught her attention, though, were the fluorescent lights flashing in the corner of her vision. Slowly she lifted and turned her head to see that she'd stopped her car on the other side of the street from a small lively bar. The brunette just stared for a while, watching the people come and go, laughing and joking with their friends, couples holding hands and leaning in for kisses as the alcohol lowered their inhibitions. Her mind drifted back to the past night when Diana had kissed her, and as surprising as it was, it had made her happier than she could ever remember being. People talk about sparks, fireworks, but she'd honestly never believed in those until Diana's lips met her own. And if the way the blonde's heart was racing as she held her close had told her anything, it was that Diana must have felt the same way. So why all the secrecy then? Why disappear for weeks without any explanation, letting Akko think it was somehow her fault? Well, it kind of was about her. But not about her...at the same time._'Ugh! This is all so confusing!' _she internally screamed as she closed her eyes tightly and rubbed her forehead in frustration. _'Does she want me in her life or not?!'_

Akko opened her eyes once more and sighed again before opening her door and stepping out, quickly making her way across the street and walking through the large wooden doors of the bar. The sight she was met with was familiar, the noise and the smells comforting as this had always seemed to be her escape from her problems. To forget her current situation, if only for the night, was too temping to resist right now. She was weak, she knew she was weak, but right now she didn't really care. She had no direction, she was so lost. She just wanted to forget.

"What can I get for ya?" The bartender asked as Akko sat down at the bar, a warm smile glued to the older woman's face as she patiently awaited an answer.

"Something strong." The brunette answered simply as she rested her elbows on the bar and rubbed her eyes, making the bartender's smile fall slightly.

"That bad of a day?" When Akko just nodded in response, the bartender smiled sympathetically and turned around to begin mixing a drink for her. Sooner than the brunette expected, the bartender turned around again and set a copper cup in front of her and winked. "Good thing I know just what you need."

The chipper attitude of the older woman made Akko smile slightly as she looked down into the cup, recognizing the drink immediately. A Moscow mule.

"Luckily for me you're good at your job." The brunette mumbled, bringing the cup to her lips with a smile as the bartender chuckled in amusement before turning to help the next person waiting for her attention.

Akko sat there for a long time, drink after drink was finished, her attention being pulled from the TV in the corner of the bar area to watching the lively patrons before turning back to the TV again. Again the familiarity of the place washed over her, reminding her that this had been what she was running away from when she sought out Diana, running away from feeling alone all the damn time. Yet, here she is, again. Alone in a room full of strangers. What was she doing? Why was she like this? Akko finished the rest of her current drink quickly and slammed the cup on the table a little harder than she'd meant to, eliciting a few curious looks from the patrons around her. Smiling apologetically at the bartender, she pulled out her wallet and threw a few bills onto the bar before turning around and nearly ran into two girls who had been standing far too close to her.

"Excuse me," The taller of the two girls giggled at Akko's surprise before continuing, "but my friend and I have been watching you for the last little bit and I just have to ask." The girl leaned in as if she was about to tell a secret. "Are you Akko Kagari?"

"I...uh..." the brunette stuttered as her gaze nervously flitted between the two girls staring at her hopefully before she cleared her throat and nodded, "yeah, that's me."

"I knew it!" The shorter girl shrieked, and Akko swore she could see hearts in the girl's eye as she just stared back at her.

"We're big fans." The taller, much more composed girl said as she stepped a bit closer.

"T-thanks. That's good to hear." Akko laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding the suddenly seductive gaze of the girl.

"You look a bit lonely tonight, though. Are you here alone?"

"Yes." Akko replied, her mouth suddenly bone dry as the taller girl reached out and brushed the brunette's arm with her fingers.

"We could keep you company if you'd like."

Akko clenched her jaw at the contact, goosebumps raising off of the skin of her arm and she struggled to hold back a shiver. She glanced at one girl and then the other, really looking at them now. They were both very attractive, the type of girls she would definitely not have minded taking home for a good time in the past. The type of girls that Akko would have never considered turning down like she was right now. Because when she felt the girl's fingers brush against her arm, all she could think about was Diana's fingers tracing her tattoos, how the touch left a warmth on her skin that didn't fade away immediately. When she looked into these girl's eyes, she didn't see the clear pools of bright blue that she would gladly get lost in for as long as Diana would let her. When she looked at these girl's lips, she didn't see the impossibly soft ones she'd felt the night before, and just that morning, with her own. These girls were not Diana. And Diana was the only one she wanted to be with.

Diana was the one.

"Diana." Akko mumbled absentmindedly, causing the two girls in front of her to look at her in confusion.

"No, I'm Mary, and this is Blair." One of the girls spoke.

"Huh?" The brunette's eyes finally came into focus as she shook her head slightly. "I...you know what? I'm really sorry but I can't do this." Akko smiled apologetically as she slid past them before pausing. "It was nice to meet you though." Again she turned and quickly walked to the doors before bursting through them, startling a crowd of people about to enter. Without paying them any mind, she looked up and down the street to make sure it was clear. Her mind was racing, her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she waited for the cars to pass. How could she be so dumb? She should have never left. "Damn it come on!" The groaned to herself, not wanting to wait any longer. She needed to get back to Diana, she needed to fix this….somehow. She needed to-

"Akko? Is that you?"

Akko spun around as a hand landed softly on her shoulder before her eyes widened at the figure standing front of her now.

"Andrew?"

* * *

**Hello hello friends! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Thank you so much to all of you amazing people. I can never say enough just how much I appreciate you kind words and support. **

**Also for those of you who follow 'What Akko Wants'...I have not abandoned it I promise! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak and it will be updated within the next couple days!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Pushing and Pulling_

"Andrew?" Temporarily forgetting about her mission to get back to Diana, Akko stared up into sparkling emerald green eyes staring back at her in utter shock. "W-what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" He replied with an arch of his brow. "Akko, I live here. What are you doing here?"

"Oh...right." Akko chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck and looked toward the sky, her surprise wore off quickly to be replaced by a sudden urge to get out of there as soon as possible. Coming here had been a mistake, the fault of her subconscious for wanting, no, _needing_ some sort of comfort from someone that had been such a huge part of her life for so long. Seeing him now, though, was like someone had just punched her in the gut, taking away all of her air and leaving her gasping desperately. "I need to go." She mumbled as she pushed past him and stepped out onto the street failing to notice a car speeding down the street right toward her. Akko froze and stared like a deer in the headlights as the lights of the car moved closer and closer until she felt a hand grasp her roughly by the wrist and pull her backward onto the sidewalk just in time for the car to speed past them.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Andrew shouted in a panic as he spun the brunette around and leaned down to look at her at eye level. Akko just blinked a few times as if in a daze, causing the man to sigh and irritation. "Are you drunk, Akko?"

"I..."

In all honesty, Akko didn't think she was drunk. How much had she had to drink? Enough, apparently, because at the moment she wasn't able to put any coherent thoughts together, let alone put any words together to make a complete sentence. Her breathing suddenly became shallow as the world began to spin around her.

"Where are you staying?"

She heard Andrew talking, but his voice was muffled as her head began to swim and her body began to sway. Akko could feel her forehead begin to sweat and her eyelids began to grow heavy before her vision went dark.

"Akko!"

* * *

"_Akko!"_

"_What Andrew?! What do you want from me? What do you want me to say?!"_

_The two stood in Andrew's living room, toe to toe like they had so many times before. He had a magazine grasped tightly in his hand, his breaths coming more and more shallow as he seethed. Akko had arrived just a few minutes before, thinking this would be a nice weekend for the both of them to relax. Well, that's what it had supposed to have been. However the moment she walked in she knew something was wrong, and as soon as she saw the magazine, she knew exactly what it was. _

"_I want you to stop this." Andrew held up the magazine for Akko to see the pictures of her infamous partying clearly, to which the brunette looked away quickly, choosing to focusing on the fireplace instead. _

_It was no secret that Akko loved to have a good time, and once in a while the paparazzi were able to get pictures of just how much she loved to have a good time. The incriminating photos of a party she'd attended the week before had managed to show up in a not so reputable magazine rather quickly afterward. She had seen it immediately thanks to Amanda, but she prayed to God that Andrew would somehow miss this one. This one was definitely the worst on yet. Not because of the partying, but because of the girl who had been sitting in her lap with her tongue down her throat. But who was she kidding? His own reputation was a stake here. Of course he would find out. He made it his business to find out. _

"_Akko," Andrew sighed, defeated, as he tossed the magazine onto the nearest table, "I can't...do this anymore."_

"_What?" Akko's head snapped back to attention, her eyes finding Andrew's defeated expression. He looked tired, withdrawn...done with everything. "What do you mean?" She took a few steps forward and tried to swallow the knot in her throat as she felt signs of moisture begin to pool at the corners of her eyes. "I-if it's about the pictures I'll...I'll stop, make a public statement or apology or whatever. I'll do my best not to ruin your image anymore….I pro-"_

"_Stop." Andrew said weakly as he put his hand up to stop Akko's desperate rambling. "Akko, this isn't about my image."_

"_...Than what…" the brunette whispered as she searched sad emerald eyes for an answer._

_Andrew stared back at her for a long moment as the silence between them lingered for too long._

"_Do you love me?" He asked, his intense gaze never faltering as Akko's eyes widened in surprise. _

_The brunette's mouth opened, but no words escaped as she began to shake. Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she just say yes? Of course she loved him. Right? She...did love him. Right? Why, then, would she feel this overwhelming guilt at the fact that she couldn't say the words he was looking for? She must've stayed silent for a little too long as he began to chuckle bitterly, jolting her immediately out of her panicking thoughts. _

"_That's what I thought." Andrew mumbled as he rubbed his eyes roughly. "Akko, why don't you just stop pretending you want to be with me when clearly..." he walked over and picked up the magazine once more and held it up, "you don't."_

"_But I do, Andrew, I do!" Akko stepped even closer and took his free hand in both of her own and held on desperately as her tears began rolling freely down her cheeks. _

"_Yeah? When was the last time you kissed me like this, Akko? When was the last time you looked at me like this?" _

_Akko's attention was again directed toward the pictures, now that she was closer she could clearly see what he was talking about. Yes, she might have been completely hammered at the time but there was no mistaking the passion between the two girls in the picture. When had been the last time she felt that way about Andrew? She honestly couldn't remember. Their relationship had become nothing more than going through the motions, showing up to social parties or political events together because that's what people expected. Putting on a smile for the cameras to make it seem like they were happy standing there hand in hand. For a long time, the smiles weren't fake. The happiness had been real. When had it all changed? When had she began to fall out of love with Andrew Hanbridge?_

_This realization then brought up another question, one she had to ask herself. Why was she crying? Why was she holding onto to him so desperately if she wasn't in love with him anymore? It was easy enough to answer. She was scared. She was terrified of being alone. Andrew was all she knew, he was comfortable, convenient. What would she do without him? _

"_I think you need to go." Andrew pulled his hand out of Akko's grasp and backed away, his jaw set in an attempt to keep his emotions from showing._

"_Andrew, I don't what to do without you." The brunette's voice cracked as she stepped forward, but stopped abruptly when the next words came out of Andrew's mouth._

"_Just g__o." _

* * *

Akko's eyes shot open as she jolted awake, immediately sitting up as the cold sweat caused a violent shiver to run through her body. She breathed heavily as the nightmare played over and over still fresh in her mind. Her eyes struggled to blink the sleepiness away as she took in her surroundings, the surroundings that were painfully familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. The sofa she laid on hadn't moved in the years she'd been gone, still sitting in the exact place it had been in front of the fireplace that was now lit and providing her with some much needed warmth. Lifting her gaze to the top of the mantle, she now realized what was so unfamiliar about this place now. The pictures of herself and Andrew that had once resided above the fireplace had long since vanished, replaced by pictures of the man she once loved and a woman she didn't recognize. The woman was very pretty, and very...refined, classy, proper. Everything about her screamed 'politician girlfriend material'. She was everything Akko could never be.

Akko sat up a little straighter and looked at the pictures a little more closely, sizing up the woman who Andrew held so closely. The brunette could admit that they looked perfect together, not just the way they looked, but the smiles they wore were genuine. They looked happy, _Andrew_ looked happy. Why did it hurt to see him so happy with someone else? She'd been the one to ruin everything after all. Maybe because he'd found someone, had left Akko behind him and never looked back. The lack of any trace of her in the room had told her as much. He'd moved on. Something the brunette had never been able to do. But she'd found someone too, hadn't she? Diana.

She'd found Diana.

She'd found her too late.

"Akko?"

Akko jumped as the deafening silence of the room was interrupted by a soft voice. She turned her head to see Andrew sitting in a chair with a book in his hand, concern evident in his eyes as she looked at him with wide eyes, as if he'd just startled a wild animal.

"How are you feeling?" He asked hesitantly as he closed his book and set it on the table next to his chair.

"I...I'm fine." Akko said quietly as she averted her gaze to look back at the crackling fire.

"Not very convincing." Andrew chuckled in what seemed like relief before he stood and picked up a plate off of the table next to him and approached the sofa Akko was laying on. "You look terrible, by the way."

"Thanks." The brunette mumbled and rolled her eyes before eyeing the plate that Andrew was now holding out for her to take. "A...sandwich?"

"Yeah," Andrew furrowed his brows as he looked down at the food before lifting his eyes to meet hers once more, "Emily thought you might need to eat something after you passed out at the bar."

"...Emily?"

"My...fiance." Andrew's gaze flitted to the pictures on the mantle before returning to the brunette. "So you should eat." He held out the plate even further, all but shoving it into Akko's hands. When the girl finally relented and took the plate with a mumbled 'thanks', Andrew stepped back and cleared his throat. "I'll go get her."

"What?" Akko squeaked out in horror. "Why? Why? No, you don-"

"She wanted to make sure you were okay, Akko. She's a nurse. Don't worry." Andrew flashed an amused smile at the sudden panic before shaking his head and disappearing into the other room.

"God, can today get any worse?" Akko groaned quietly before taking a large bite of the sandwich. It tasted like absolute heaven. It was then that she remembered that she hadn't eaten anything all day, which made the whole...passing out at the bar thing make so much more sense. How could she be so stupid? She ate it quickly, practically inhaled it, finishing the last bite just before Andrew and his fiance entered the room. The unfamiliar woman approached and smiled warmly at the brunette before she spoke.

"Hello, Akko. I'm Emily. It's a pleasure to meet you." The woman said as she held out her hand for the brunette to shake.

Akko's eyebrows shot up instantly at the warm greeting, her eyes moving between Emily and Andrew a few times before she took the woman's hand and shook.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you." She mumbled uncomfortably.

"I've heard so much about you. I feel like I've known you for years." Emily giggled and sat down in the chair that Andrew had occupied earlier.

Akko narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man, who made a point to avoid her gaze as his lips twitched ever so slightly.

"How are you feeling? You hit your head pretty hard when you fell earlier." The woman continued, looking like she was doing everything she could to not jump out of her chair to examine Akko as if she were a patient of hers.

"I...I think I'm okay. I hadn't eaten anything all day so I guess drinking wasn't the best decision. Heh." The brunette laughed nervously as the woman across from her furrowed her brows in concern and bit her lip as if she wanted to say something but held herself back thankfully. Akko was not in the mood to hear a comment about her drinking from a complete stranger. A complete stranger who probably knew more about her than she felt comfortable with.

"So what brings you here, Akko?" Andrew asked casually, although the question had most likely been eating at him since they first locked eyes at the bar. They hadn't seen each other in years but his mannerisms hadn't changed at all. His posture was rigid, his hands were clasped behind is back, and she could see a hint of nervousness in is eyes. She couldn't blame him. She couldn't even begin to imagine what was going though his mind at the moment.

"Uh...Andrew, could I talk to you...in private?" Akko's eyes flitted between Andrew and his confused looking fiance, trying to smile apologetically at the woman but knowing it looked nervous and desperate instead. To the brunette's surprise, however, Emily only hesitated for moment before smiling in understanding and standing up, giving Andrew a peck on his cheek before disappearing from the room.

Andrew wasted no time before he made his way around the chair and sat down in a more relaxed manner.

"Okay, spill it."

"What?" Akko replied in surprised, confused at the sudden change in his demeanor.

"You show up here looking like shit, you haven't eaten, your eyes are all puffy like you've been crying recently, Akko I'm not an idiot. What happened?"

The blunt nature of the statement caught Akko off guard, her mind reeling at the facts he'd just counted off and the fact that he sounded like he...cared. After all he pain she'd caused him, he took care of her and wanted to know about her problems. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve his kindness.

"It's..." Akko swallowed hard as she felt the emotions suddenly flowing through her in waves once more. Again her mind replayed the scene from that morning in her mind, the scene that had been on repeat, taunting her, threatening to drive her into the very depths of despair. "It's Diana."

"Diana?" Andrew tilted his head in curiosity before his eyes widened slightly in realization. "Diana Cavendish?" When all he received was a small nod, he continued hesitantly. "What...about her?"

"She's…" Akko choked on her words, finding it near impossible to say it out loud. As if saying it loud would make this more real than she was able to handle right now. She took in a deep breath and tried once more. "She has cancer. She's...d-dying."

Andrew's expression turned from confusion to shock in an instant, his jaw dropping as his gaze moved to the floor in front of him. All three of them had been good friends at the academy until...the incident. Unfortunately Andrew was caught in the crossfire and was forced to choose a side. Of course he'd chosen Akko over Diana, although the brunette felt like he'd regretted making that decision years later. She always knew he had a soft spot for the blonde even if she might have blamed him for stealing Akko away from her.

"How...I didn't know you two were friends."

"We...um...we've been working on a song together." The brunette let out a shaky breath as surprised emerald eyes met hers once more. "Andrew, I'm in love with her. I'm..." she let a sob escape her lips as she doubled over and buried her face in her hands, "I'm so in love with her and she's dying."

Andrew stood immediately and crossed the space between them in a flash before kneeling down in front of the sobbing brunette and wrapping his arms around her. She returned the offered embrace and buried her face in his shirt as the tears continued to flow with no end in sight. He rubbed what he hoped were soothing circles into her back as Akko gripped the sides of his shirt tightly as if it was a lifeline.

"Shhh It's going to be okay." Andrew whispered as he struggled to remain calm himself. "It's going to be okay, Akko."

"How?" Akko croaked out, voice raspy and raw from her sobs. "How is this going to be okay Andrew? It took so long for me to...to...and now...there's no time."

Andrew closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath before opening them and finally pushing Akko away enough to where he could look her in the eyes.

"Akko, if she's still alive, there's still time." He stated with as much confidence as he could muster. "Why are you here instead of with her?"

"I..." Akko swallowed hard as she wiped away from her cheeks, "I found out and I...was terrified. I...d-didn't know what to do, or say, or where to go. I just...i just got in my car a-and drove. And ended up here." The brunette wiped more tears away as Andrews gaze bore into her with intensity.

"You shouldn't have left her."

"She told me to leave." She said weakly.

"Of course she did, Akko. She's probably trying to push you away."

Akko looked back at him in defeat. She was tired, exhausted, confused. It sounded so simple coming from Andrew. Unfortunately it was anything but.

"She needs you, whether she wants to admit it or not. You think you're terrified, Akko, imagine how terrified she is. Diana _needs_ someone like you, someone to love her until the end. I know she's the type of person that's going to think this is a burden on everyone, and I know she's trying to push you away, but what she needs is for someone to push back." Andrew let a small smile show as he reached out and placed a stray lock of hair behind Akko's ear. "Push back, Akko. Show her you aren't going anywhere."

"How...how do you know all of this?"

"Diana and I were..." He furrowed his brows as he thought about the right way to say this, "close, when her mother died. And if she's anything like her mother she's going to push as many people away as she can until she's alone. All she had in the end was Diana."

Akko nodded slowly as she sifted through that information in her mind. _'__Because I know what it's like to lose someone you love, Akko. __It's...__I...didn't want that for you_' is what Diana had told her. She had seen her mother waste away, experienced every second of her mother's end first hand. It pained Akko to admit it, but it seemed that Andrew was right. She couldn't imagine that Diana _wanted _to be alone, rather, she didn't want to inevitably hurt everyone close to her when the end came. Akko could change that though, she could make her realize that she doesn't need to be alone. That she could be happy. She let out a frustrated sigh before noticing the small smile on Andrew's face as he waited for her to finish her thoughts.

"Andrew, why are you being so nice to me." The brunette laughed bitterly as she wiped away the last of the tears that had streamed down her face. "I don't deserve it."

"Of course you do, Akko." Andrew said nonchalantly as he stood and straightened his clothes, smiling warmly at the broken girl still sitting on the sofa. "You deserve kindness and happiness just like the rest of us. Diana seems to think so too, although I think she had other reasons to give you a second chance." He winked and smiled slyly as Akko's eyes grew wide at the words.

"W-what? What is that supposed to mean?"

"You may have been oblivious to the way she felt about you at Academy but I assure you, it was quite obvious to everyone else."

Akko's gaze moved from amused green eyes back down to the fireplace as she nodded slowly in understanding.

"I guess I just noticed too late." She mumbled, the words just above a whisper but still loud enough to grab Andrew's attention.

"Not too late."

Akko's eyes snapped back up to Andrew, her brows furrowed in confusion. Noticing this, he picked up his glass of water off of the small table next to his chair and finished the last of it before speaking.

"It sounds like you noticed when she needed you to the most." Andrew turned and began to walk out of the room but paused in the doorway. "You're welcome to stay here until the morning. Your car is out front and your stuff is on the table." He shut the door behind him, leaving Akko in complete silence, save for the crackling of the fire roaring healthily in the fireplace.

The brunette stared at he door where Andrew disappeared for a long while, her previously jumbled thoughts finally unraveling to actually begin to make some sense. It was the first moment since she'd learned about Diana's illness that she felt at ease, the first time that her mind was quiet enough to focus. Was she still confused about why Diana hadn't told her? Yes. Did her heart still feel like it was going to rip out of her chest at any moment? Double yes. Was she still completely terrified of the inevitable outcome of this whole situation? Infinite yes. So what had changed? She didn't have to go through this alone. She wouldn't go through this alone, and she wouldn't let Diana go through this alone either. She would be whatever Diana needed her to be, do whatever she needed her to do. She would gladly leap into the abyss of uncertainty if it meant that Diana was happy. She would do anything, she would cross oceans and canyons spanning millions of miles just to be with her. She would...

Akko immediately jumped up off of the sofa and ran to the table where her things resided, stuffing her dead phone into her pocket along with her wallet and keys before sprinting toward the door. After throwing the door open quickly she only hesitated a moment when she saw Andrew locking the front door to the house. He jumped and twisted around just in time to see Akko barreling toward him and moved out of the way just in time to not be tackled to the ground before the brunette began to fumble with the locks on the door.

"Akko? What are you doi-?"

"I have to get back to her." She half shouted as she finally got the locks to cooperate.

"Akko, if you drive back now, you'll arrive at three in the morning."

"I don't care. She has to know." Akko turned the doorknob before something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. "Can I have those?" She motioned to the small decorative table in the entryway, Andrew's confused gaze following before landing on a large vase housing a bouquet of flowers.

"You want the flowers?"

"Thanks!" Akko raced over to the table and plucked a large bundle of flowers out, the water dripping everywhere as she sprinted back to the door and pulled it open.

"But-"

"Thanks Andrew!" The brunette yelled over her shoulder as she ran as fast as she could across the large yard toward her car.

'_I have to get to her.'_

She opened the door to her car and jumped in quickly, clumsily sticking the key into the keyhole and starting the engine.

'_I've already wasted so much time.'_

The car loudly peeled out onto the street and sped away until Andrew's large house disappeared in the distance.

'_I'm not willing to lose her, not like this.'_

The dim streetlights were a blur as she drove down the deserted streets of the small town until the darkness of the open country greeted her.

'_I'll never leave her again.' _

* * *

Diana laid on her bed in the darkness of her room, the moonlight shown through the large window she hadn't bothered to get up and close the curtains over as the sun had set hours before. She had been in a daze since Akko left, since she _told_ Akko to leave. The blonde had berated herself all day about being such an idiot until she built up the courage to call the brunette, her heart breaking immediately when the call went straight to voicemail. She then sent a text message but that was many hours ago, and she hadn't received a reply. She still clutched her phone to her chest as she laid there staring numbly at the wall beside her bed. She didn't know how long she'd been laying here, it could have been hours, it could have been a couple of minutes, time was irrelevant when she'd been completely lost in her own mind.

She couldn't push away the overwhelming feelings of loneliness and emptiness that had taken over her, couldn't find a way to piece her broken heart back together. This had been exactly what she had been so terrified of, this is why she didn't tell Akko in the first place. The brunette had looked so completely broken that morning and Diana couldn't fix it. There would never be a way to fix it. Because there was no fixing herself. She couldn't handle that look Akko was giving her, there was so much pain behind those eyes that it nearly killed Diana right then and there to see. She never wanted to be the cause of such pain, of course if she was being honest it wouldn't be the last time she would cause such pain. But at least next time she wouldn't be there to see it.

Diana felt tears begin to flow again onto the already wet pillow beneath her head before she closed her eyes tight, internally screaming at herself to just go to sleep already. She wanted nothing more than to drift off and find relief from reality, from the pain. It might have worked in other instances, but tonight when she closed her eyes, pools of crimson filled her vision. There was no escape. She pulled the phone away from her chest to check it for the hundredth time but received the same result as every other time, she was met with no new messages or calls. She finally tossed the phone beside her on the bed and let out a long defeated sigh as the exhaustion took over completely. Thankfully whatever god that existed had heard her plea and allowed her to slowly drift off into a restless sleep.

It seemed that as soon as she drifted off she was being awoken by a loud frantic pounding on her front door. Diana's tired eyes slowly opened before she attempted to blink the blurriness from her vision, her hand automatically feeling around for the phone she discarded somewhere on her bed. Finally she felt the solid object and held it close to her face to make out the numbers indicating that it was just after three in the morning. As the pounding continued, she rubbed her eyes as she rolled slowly out of bed and all but sleep walked through her home until she reached the front door, leaning against it weakly and peered through the peephole. Diana's eyes widened and her heart began to pound violently in her chest when she saw Akko on the other side of her door underneath the porch light. _'__Oh my god!'_ she screamed internally as she began to panic. Was she ready for this? Why was Akko here so late? Or...early? The blonde's mind definitely wasn't functioning right at the moment. Maybe if she didn't answer, Akko would give up and come back later. But what if she didn't come back? What if this was her only chance to speak with her. Did she want to speak with her? Of course she want to…

"Damn it." She whispered to herself, internally groaning at her mind that wouldn't stop the incessant rambling. The blonde leaned forward until her head hit against the door a little harder than she'd meant to, resulting in a dull thud noise. She winced and froze in place, praying to all that was holy that Akko hadn't heard, but her hopes were dashed immediately when she heard Akko call out on the other side.

"Diana?"

She didn't dare move for what seemed like forever, knowing that Akko most likely had her ear to the door at this point.

"Diana I really need to talk to you. Will you...please open the door?"

Diana let out a long sigh and rubbed her forehead in frustration as she internally fought with herself over what to do next. On one hand, she knew she was in no state to have a serious conversation at that moment, but on the other hand, it was all she could do not to throw open the door and hug Akko like it there was no tomorrow. In the end she knew what she was going to do, that didn't mean she could pretend like she had some pride for a few moments. Finally Diana reached out and grasped the doorknob with a shaky hand and opened the door slowly, the cool night air wasting no time in making the blonde shiver as she stood in the doorway in her shorts and tank top.

"Hey." Akko greeted hesitantly as she fidgeted with the flowers in her hand.

"Hey." Diana replied quietly as she closely watched the nervous girl in front of her, eyeing the flowers for a moment before locking on to unwavering crimson eyes. She opened her mouth to ask why the brunette was pounding on her door at three o'clock in the morning but Akko immediately stopped her.

"Wait! Don't uh...please don't say anything until I've said what I came here to say okay?" The brunette pleaded as she took a step closer. Diana closed her mouth without hesitation and nodded once, allowing Akko to continue. "When I found out about...you...this morning I was shocked. And I didn't know what to do and then you came in and I...I didn't know what to say and...I shouldn't have left." She could tell that Diana was about to protest that last statement so she put a hand up and continued quickly. "I know you told me to leave. I know. And I know you're trying to push me away. But Diana, you can try to push and push all you want, I'm not going anywhere."

"Akko..." All Diana could do was manage a desperate whisper as all of her breath was being taken away by the girl in front of her. She wrapped her arms around herself and gripped the sides of her shirt like she always did when she was attempting to withdraw, but when Akko noticed this, she took another step forward and reached out to take one of the blonde's hands in her own.

"Diana there is no where else I'd rather be than with you. I'm not gonna stand here and pretend that it's not going to hurt in the end," the brunette paused for a moment as a tear ran down her cheek, "I know it's gonna hurt like hell. But it'll hurt a whole hell of a lot more if I leave right now. I already did that once and it was the worst mistake of my life. I want to be here with you, for as long as I can be. And if I leave now, I'll never get the chance to be yours."

Diana's breath hitched at the last statement as tears began to flow freely down her face, still she refused to look away from those crimson eyes, searching for any hint of hesitance, any hint that this wasn't what Akko wanted. She found none. The brunette reached up and wiped a few tears away from Diana's cheek, a small adoring smile gracing her lips as the blonde leaned into the soft contact. Diana wanted to throw herself at Akko, wanted to hold her and kiss her and never stop, but she was frozen in place. Of all the emotions swirling around in her mind, there was one that refused to give way.

"Akko, I'm so scared." Diana breathed out, so quietly that the brunette had barely heard her. Those words had never held so much weight before and now they threatened to crush her as Akko's smile faltered a bit.

"I know." The brunette whispered back as she took a final step forward, the two girls now toe to toe. "I am, too, but we can be scared together. We can get through anything together. I'll be there for you every step of the way, and I know you'll be there for me."

Diana immediately reached her hand up to the back of Akko's neck and pulled the brunette in, crashing their lips together desperately. The long forgotten flowers were dropped onto the cement of the porch before Akko wrapped her arms around Diana's waist to pull her in impossibly closer and deepened the kiss as their lips moved in sync. It was if the weight of the world had lifted off of them, they were floating freely now. This wasn't going to fix all of their problems, neither could imagine the trials they'd have to face in the future, but right now they were together. That was all that mattered.

They parted after long moment, both girls shivering from a mix of the cool air and unbridled emotions as they held each other close, foreheads still touching as they struggled to catch their breath and slow their rapidly beating hearts.

"I love you, Diana."

The words slipped out of Akko's mouth before she had a chance to think about them. She froze mid-breath as azure eyes shot open and stared back at her in surprise. The brunette opened and closed her mouth several times before swallowing hard and clearing her throat as she was at a loss for words.

"I...uh..."

Akko trailed off as Diana began to smile for the first time since the brunette had knocked on her door. It grew and grew until her brilliantly white teeth shown in the pale moonlight. The smile immediately melted Akko's heart because she recognized this smile. It had been so long since she'd seen her smile like this, too long if she was being honest. It wasn't fake or forced, it wasn't one that failed to reach her eyes, it was genuine. It was happy. It was absolutely beautiful.

Akko would give her own life to protect this smile.

"I love you, too, Akko." Diana shakily whispered back, causing the brunette's own smile to grow tenfold.

With a bright, toothy grin, Akko tightened her hold around Diana's waist and picked her up before spinning her around wildly, causing the blonde to let out a surprised squeak before she began to laugh as she spun. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed this way, or being this happy, but as Diana stared lovingly down into Akko's sparkling crimson eyes her past washed away, now she was staring into her future, her future with Akko.

* * *

**Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
****Thank you everyone for your continued support and kind words! I love and appreciate y'all so much!**

**I got a lot of inspiration for this chapter from two songs in particular. If you're interested I highly recommend checking them out! They're beautiful! **

**'Goodbye' by The Sweeplings**

**'Be Scared With Me' by Canyon City**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_New Beginnings_

Diana was light as air, the crushing weight of hiding her illness from Akko was lifted and she could finally breathe again. How freeing it was to be able to fill her lugs completely for the first time in so long, to feel the sweet release of exhaling all of her fears and doubts away until nothing was holding her back anymore. As she stared down at the sleeping figure beside her, she could barely handle the overwhelming feeling of love and adoration she felt for the girl. Akko, who had every reason to leave and move on with her life had come back, had promised Diana she would never leave. Never in the blonde's wildest dreams could she have imagine that she could find someone to love her unconditionally, to love her so much that they would willingly endure the inevitable pain of losing her just to be with her for as long as they could. And it had been Akko to blast a hole through Diana's carefully guarded walls. Who was she kidding though? The brunette had always held a place in the blonde's heart. Akko was just finally claiming what was hers in the first place and Diana had no chance of resisting.

She lifted her gaze to see the first signs of sunlight dimly shining through the window over her bed. She smiled as she welcomed the morning with open arms, feeling as if this had been the first time she'd really seen the sunlight in so long. Her world was no longer fading into the dull black and white of despair, instead it's as if she was seeing the vibrant colors for the first time, through new eyes. This morning everything seemed just a little brighter, and it was all thanks to the girl next to her who was now drooling on Diana's pillow. She smiled at the sight and fought to hold in an amused giggle as she shook her head in disbelief that anyone could be so utterly cute when they sleep. The blonde reached out and brushed a few strands of hair out of Akko's face and tucked them behind her ear before leaning down and placing a feather soft kiss to her forehead. After watching the girl stir slightly before going still again, Diana carefully slid off of her bed and made her way to the kitchen to make some much needed coffee. She couldn't have slept more than a few hours the night before, but after Akko showed up she could bring herself to fall back to sleep. The blonde was terrified that this was all a dream, that if she fell asleep, the next time she woke up she'd be alone again. If it was a dream she'd savor it for as long as she possibly could because this was the best dream she'd ever had.

Diana went through the motion of preparing the coffee and putting out what little food she had available on the counter for some semblance of a breakfast for whenever Akko would wake up. Fortunately she wouldn't have to wait for long because as soon as the coffee was done, the brunette appeared in the kitchen, still half asleep as if the smell of the coffee had summoned her there in a trance. Diana watched in amusement as Akko blinked the sleep from her eyes before letting a loud yawn escape her mouth, her hair sticking out every which way as she leaned against the doorway.

"Morning." Akko mumbled sleepily as she attempted to tame her hair.

"Good morning." Diana replied with an amused smile before pouring coffee into two mugs. "You look like you could use some coffee."

"So I look exactly like how I feel. Perfect." Akko replied, not being able to contain a small smile as she walked over to the counter and took a seat.

Silence fell over the girls as they passed the cream and sugar between each other until their coffee was to their liking. The brunette fidgeted with her mug in her hands while sneaking glances at the blonde, who apparently found the liquid in her own mug very interesting. Earlier that morning had been so emotional that neither girl knew quite where to start with everything. Not being one to stay silent for very long, Akko decided she'd be the first one to break the silence.

"Sooo…"

Diana looked up from her interesting coffee at the sound of the brunette's voice, expecting something more to be said. When she was met with Akko looking as if she'd lost the ability to speak, the blonde arched a brow.

"So?"

"So how's...uh...how's your coffee?"

The corner of Diana's lips twitched as she looked down at her coffee with faux curiosity and shrugged before lifting her amused gaze back up to Akko.

"It's fine I guess."

The brunette nodded slowly and averted her gaze as she took a too large sip of the hot liquid, burning her tongue in the process. Her eyes went wide and began to water as she let out a pained whimper.

"How's your coffee?" Diana asked cheekily, not able a contain a soft chuckle at Akko's expense.

The brunette glared playfully at the blonde before laughing to herself, thankful that the tension and awkwardness were slowly dissipating. Silence once again fell over them as Akko's expression turned to one of deep concentration as she looked down into her mug. Diana noticed the change in demeanor and after a long moment, she decided she was going to have to ask if she wanted the Japanese girl to talk at all.

"What's on your mind Akko?" The blonde set down her mug and rested her elbows on the counter, giving Akko her full attention.

Staying quiet for a moment longer, the brunette bit her lip and lifted her gaze to meet curious and concerned azure eyes staring back at her.

"Can we...ya know...talk about…" Akko trailed off, not quite knowing how to bring up the situation that was looming over them. This was new territory for her, and most likely for Diana as well. It seemed they were going to have to learn and grow together, but Akko was willing to do anything for Diana. "About your uh…"

"Oh." Diana replied, clearly surprised that the subject was being brought up so soon. She shouldn't have been surprised though after unloading that bombshell off on Akko the day before. After clearing her throat she hesitantly continued. "I suppose we should. What...would you like to know?"

"How long…" Akko trailed off again before huffing and closing her eyes, clearly frustrated at herself for being unable to get words out.

"How long do I have to live?" Diana finished the question for her, confident that she knew exactly where this conversation was going. She received confirmation of that when the brunette nodded and averted her gaze. "Months….maybe a year." The blonde stated carefully, closely watching Akko's reaction. When Akko froze with her coffee halfway to her lips, a twinge of fear crept into the blonde's mind for a split second, suddenly dreading that the brunette would run. Her fear would subside, however, when Akko nodded slowly and took a sip before setting the cup down and to Diana's surprise, the girl smiled reassuringly as if she knew what was going through the blonde's mind.

"Okay." Akko said simply before standing from the barstool and walking around the counter.

Diana's eyes widened slightly as Akko approached before the brunette reached out and cupped the blonde's cheek while she stared deeply into deep blue eyes. Slowly she leaned in and pressed her lips to Diana's, gently pushing her back into the countertop as she deepened the kiss for a long moment before pulling back for air. The blonde slowly opened her eyes, still flustered and in a bit of shock from the sudden affection to see Akko's eyes wide and a sly grin on her face.

"W-what?"

"That list in your office….was that…?"

Diana's brows furrowed as tried to decipher what Akko was asking her. She tried to remember any lists she'd made that the girl could be referring to but was coming up empty.

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"Oh. What was it…" Akko scrunched up her face as she thought before snapping her fingers. "Right! Tattoo, magic show and…" She held fingers as she counted but trailed off when she couldn't remember what else was on the list.

Diana swallowed hard as her cheeks began to heat up when she remembered exactly what Akko was talking about. She was also praying that the brunette would not remember the third thing on the list.

"Something about...rain?" Akko said absentmindedly, not noticing the very flushed state of the girl she was still holding close. "Oh! Kiss in the rain! That's it." She said a little too loudly, making Diana lean back a bit. The brunette grinned triumphantly before finally noticing the nervous smile on the blonde's face. She cleared her throat and looked away before continuing. "So are those the things you want to do before…"

"Yes." Diana sighed and leaned back onto the countertop. "It was...Hannah and Barbara's idea actually. It's dumb really."

"No! No it's not! It's a great idea!" Akko smiled brightly as she took the blonde's hands in her own. "Diana if these things are going to make you happy, you should definitely do them! Or um…" The brunette blushed slightly and continued sheepishly, "we...could do them. Together. Nothing would make me happier than to make you happy."

"Akko…" Diana smiled adoringly back at Akko before being cut off.

"But wait...why is it so short? Do you have another list somewhere? What's the other stuff?"

"Other...stuff?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah. There was only three things on that list. What else do you want to do?"

Diana opened and closed her mouth several times, completely taken back by the question.

"I...that's all I could think of."

"What?" Akko stared open mouthed at the blonde, a look of utter shock on her face. "We could finish that stuff within a week! There has to be more!"

Diana's eyes shifted from side to side as she tried to keep a furious blush from overtaking her face. There had been one more thing she hadn't written down, one thing she had accepted might not happen but now that she and Akko were...whatever they were, the thought was overwhelming her at that moment. The brunette looked at her curiously, waiting for any kind of response as the blonde panicked internally when suddenly a different thought came to her. It had been a regret she'd had since she learned of the separation of Akko's band a few years prior and a perfect way to deflect a conversation about...that other thing.

"I actually do have something else." Diana stated hesitantly with a small smile.

"Okay! What is it?" The brunette smiled brightly as she squeezed the blonde's hands.

"I...I was never able to see your band perform live. I've regretted it ever since…" Diana trailed off when Akko's smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a somewhat pained expression as she looked away. "I'm sorry, Akko. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's...fine." The brunette started as she tried to force a smile onto her face. "I'm just not sure if that's possible Diana."

"Oh. I see." Diana shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Akko released her hands and took a step back. "One other thing for now, I would like to finish our song. I'm afraid it...might be my last."

Akko's stomach dropped at that thought. She hadn't thought about their song since the revelation, or the fact that it might be Diana's last. As she stared back into pleading blue eyes she knew that this could be the most important thing she'll do in her life. The blonde was sacrificing her time and effort on something she could have easily pushed aside to make way for more important things. Yet this song was so important to her that this was one of the few things she deemed important enough to finish before the end, which meant Akko was going to do anything she could to make this the best damn song the world has ever heard. She would make sure of it. With newfound confidence the brunette smiled and stood a little straighter.

"Yeah. Let's do it."

Diana smiled in relief as she reach out and caressed Akko's cheek before leaning down and pressing her forehead against the brunette's.

"Thank you, Akko." She whispered as she stared adoringly into crimson eyes. Slowly she leaned in but before her lips could make contact with Akko's, a loud growl came from the brunette's stomach.

"Heh." The brunette giggled and rubbed the back of her neck as she blushed slightly. "I...think I may need to eat something."

"I'm afraid I don't have much." Diana chuckled as she turned to the food she'd set out on the counter top.

Suddenly Akko's embarrassment faded and a smirk overcame her lips as she wrapped her arms around the blonde from behind and leaned in close to Diana's ear and whispered.

"I can think of something else I'd like to eat."

"Oh." The blonde furrowed her brows as she looked over the food. "We can go out for breakfast if you'd like."

"Nah, I think I'd like to eat in today." Akko replied before nipping gently at the shell of Diana's ear, making her shiver slightly.

"A-Akko, you just said you can think of something else to eat, I'm afraid this is everything I have." Diana turned around in the brunette's arms to find a very unimpressed expression on Akko's face. "What?"

"You're...messing with me right?" The brunette deadpanned as she arched her brow.

"I am honestly very confused." Diana replied with her own arched brow.

"I…" Akko searched the blonde's eyes for any hint of a joke but found none, "I meant I wanted to eat…" she trailed off before clearing her throat, "never mind." The brunette mumbled as she looked past Diana to observe the food sitting on the counter. The blonde wasn't lying when she said she didn't have much which led Akko to wonder what the hell Diana actually ate when she was at home. The brunette then noticed that the blonde had grown thinner in these past weeks. How hadn't she noticed? "Yeah, let's go out for breakfast."

"Great. I'll go get ready." The blonde smiled and turned to leave the room, however before she disappeared into the hallway she stopped in her tracks.

"Something wrong?" Akko inquired before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I just...got the...eating thing…"

The brunette nearly spit her coffee out before covering her mouth and shaking in silent laughter, and even from behind she could tell Diana was blushing furiously if the red on her neck was any indication.

"So are you on the menu this morning, Ms. Cavendish?" Akko asked cheekily before laughing out loud as the blonde quickly stomped down the hallway and out of sight. "Guess not."

* * *

Akko stalked through the door into her temporary home, otherwise known as her hotel room, before closing the door and flopping onto the neatly made bed. She hadn't felt this exhausted in a very long time. The emotional toll she'd taken was wearing on her tenfold now that it was all said and done. Her breakfast with Diana had been a breath of fresh air, nothing was holding them back nor hanging over their heads anymore. They made light conversation as Akko all but inhaled her food and Diana had actually finished her whole meal with a little push from the brunette.

It was nice to put everything aside for a bit, but now that Akko was all alone in her room her mind began to wander back to the list. The tattoo was easy enough since the brunette had many contacts, many very talented contacts in the world of tattooing. She might get another herself while she was at it. The magic show thing was a little surprising, Akko had no idea Diana was into that sort of thing but she'd gladly accompany the blonde to just about anything as long as she could spend more time with her. The kiss in the rain was...less surprising than the magic show but still, Akko wouldn't have imagined that Diana would want something so romantically cliche that it could be seen in any cheesy romantic movie or book. However, something about it excited Akko, it gave her butterflies when she imagined standing in the pouring rain with Diana's arms around her as they got soaked from head to toe. She noticed she was smiling way too big thinking about it but she didn't care, she hadn't felt this happy in...well she couldn't remember that last time she was this happy. Which brought her to Diana's request to finish the song. Akko would have never said no to that request, but the fact of the matter was that there was so much more pressure now. This couldn't be a simple love song, no, it would have to be meaningful, beautiful, a song worthy of Diana Cavendish, and Akko would make sure it was all of those things, even if a serious over hall of their progress so far was needed.

The brunette turned over onto her back and placed her hands behind her head as she stared at the ceiling. A feeling of anxiousness overcame her as she thought about Diana's second request. The blonde wanted to see her play live, no, she wanted to see Akko's band play live in concert, the Believing Hearts together on stage again. It wasn't as if the brunette wouldn't do anything to make Diana happy, but she had no control over whether her former band would even talk to her, let alone join her on stage again after the things she put them through. How could she ask a favor of them when she had taken them for granted for so long? She let out a long sigh before pulling her phone out and realized that she still hadn't charged it since it died the day before. So with a grumble she turned and found her charging cord on the bedside table before plugging the phone in and turning it on. Immediately she was met with a barrage of texts of missed calls one after the other flashing on her screen. Chariot, Diana, Chariot, Diana, Chariot, Chariot, Chariot, Chariot, Chariot.

"Shit." Akko mumbled as she rubbed her forehead, her finger hovering over the call button as she tried to build the courage to call the apparently panicked woman that was her manager and best friend. She was not ready for the tongue lashing she was about to receive but she knew it wasn't fair to make the woman worry more than she had already. So she closed her eyes tightly and pushed call before reluctantly holding the phone to her ear as it began ringing. Unfortunately for the unprepared brunette, the phone only rang once before a frantic Chariot picked up.

"_Akko?! Akko are you okay?" _The woman asked breathlessly from the other side of the line.

"Hey Chariot..." Akko started guiltily, "I'm fine, please calm down."

"_Oh thank god." _Chariot let out a long relieved sigh. _"Akko what the hell happened to you?"_

"Heh," the brunette laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck, "that...is a long story."

"_Well you'll have plenty of time to tell me in a few hours when I get back. I'm about to board the plane."_

"Shit, Chariot are you coming back just because I didn't answer my phone? I don't need a babysitter ya know."

"_Hmm...how about an overly supportive manager friend? Could you use one of those?"_

Akko giggled quietly as she flopped back onto her bed.

"Actually that would be perfect right about now." The brunette smiled up at the ceiling but her smile fell a bit when a thought slid it's way into her mind. "Hey Chariot?"

"_Yes?"_

"Do you...keep in touch with any of the Believing Hearts?" The question came hesitant no matter how hard she tried to sound aloof, like this was just some fleeting curiosity. She doesn't even know why she tried because Chariot would be suspicious either way.

"_I…" _the woman started, clearly taken back at the out of place question,_ "I do talk to Amanda and Lotte once in a while. Why do you ask?"_

"Oh. Um...just curious." Akko lied.

"_You're a terrible liar even over the phone." _Chariot chuckled before talking to someone in the background. _"But we can talk about that later. I have to go. See you in a few hours?"_

"Of course. See you soon."

Akko ended the call and stared at her screen for a long moment, working her jaw as she contemplated the possibility of seeing her bandmates again, playing with them again. The thought was exciting, and terrifying all at the same time. She thought she'd never grace the stage again after her band broke up, even with the encouragement from others to begin a solo career. The truth is she didn't want to go solo, she wanted her band behind her. She wanted to hear the incredible riffs of Amanda's guitar, the soulful tune of Sucy's base, the elegant chords of Lotte's keyboard and the always on beat percussion of Jasminka. Without them she was...not enough.

Just another girl with a guitar.

Her career had ended the night they walked out that door.

Could it be possible to begin again? Anything was possible she supposed, but it seemed that having Diana in her life now, being with Diana, had given her a brand new hope. Something she hadn't felt in so long. Akko had vowed to help the blonde live her life to the fullest, but little did Diana know that the brunette was the one who needed her the most.

* * *

Hannah and Barbara walked through the front doors to the studio, returning from a long lunch due to a slow day with nothing much to do. They greeted the receptionist with warm smiles before setting off down the hallway in route to their shared office. They chatted quietly as they went until they heard something peculiar, something out of place. The pair stopped outside one the studios and listened intently to the beautiful music reverberating through the door.

"We didn't have any violinists coming in today, did we?" Barbara whispered to Hannah as they crept closer.

"Not that I can...wait…" the auburn hair girl trailed off and put a finger up to quiet her friend, "that almost sounds like…"

"Diana?" Barbara finished as they opened the door and stuck their heads inside.

The sight they were met with was quite surprising, but a sight for sore eyes nonetheless. Diana stood elegantly in the studio, as always the picture of perfection that any musician would be absolutely jealous of. Her fingers moved expertly up and down the neck of the instrument like the prodigy that Diana Cavendish was. None of this was new, however. What was new was the song she was playing and the wistful smile glued to her face as if she had no other care in the world. Diana was famous for her more sorrowful numbers, haunting melodies that could make the most stoic person break down into tears without really knowing why, but this song was happy, lively even. Hannah and Barbara didn't have to try hard to remember where they had heard it from, because it was all but ingrained into their memories when they sat in as a mock audience for Diana multiple times before the big award ceremony at the academy. It was a song the blonde's mother had written for her when she was a child, a song of unconditional love and adoration, a song that gives you the feeling of the warmth of sunshine on your skin. Was it coincidence or fate that Diana was here, playing the very same song her mother had written as her own health failed.

Like mother, like daughter.

Without noticing, Hannah and Barbara had made their way fully into the room, mesmerized by their friend's performance, both girls afraid to look away from the beautiful moment happening right in front of their eyes. They were so lost in the moment that they hadn't realized that Diana had stopped playing and was now looking at them with a very curious look on her face.

"Did you girls need something?" The blonde asked hesitantly before jumping slightly when the girls barreled forward and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Diana froze for a long moment before patting each girl on the back in utter confusion.

"Welcome back Diana." Barbara mumbled into the blonde's shoulder.

"Girls, you're acting as if you haven't seen me in ages. It's only been a few days." Diana finally chuckled in exasperation before Hannah pulled back and locked eyes with her.

"It has been ages since we've seen the real you."

* * *

Chariot sat in stunned silence at the table in Akko's hotel room, the brunette sitting across from her and patiently waiting for a response to the news she'd just unloaded on the older woman.

"So...Diana is dying…" Chariot said quietly, as if she couldn't think of anything else to say but the obvious. "I can't believe it. I'm so sorry Akko."

Akko smiled sadly and looked down at her fidgeting hands in her lap as she felt the familiar moisture building up in the corners of her eyes. She wondered if every time she said it out loud, it would result in her becoming a blubbering mess because it sure seemed like she'd never get used to this.

"I need your help, Chariot." Akko stated desperately as her crimson eyes landed once more on the saddened older woman.

"Of course, Akko. Anything. Just tell me what you need."

"I need…" the brunette started but hesitated, second guessing herself before shaking her head and continuing, "I need you to talk to Amanda for me."

Chariot's eyes widened for a split second before her eyebrows furrowed.

"May I ask why?"

"I want to get the band back together."

* * *

"God that's so romantic!" Barbara squealed after Diana finished telling them what had gone on the last couple days.

Hannah and Barbara had listened intently, gasping and aww-ing at various points in the story, Diana herself feeling everything herself as she spoke. By the end she couldn't help the bright, loving smile that had made its way onto her features.

"We're so happy for you Diana." Hannah added before she and Barbara turned to smile at each other.

"I honestly can't believe it's real." Diana said softly as she stared off into the distance. "I can't believe she loves me." She smiled and brought her fingers up to her mouth and touched her lips where Akko's had been only hours before. "And she came back."

"Of course she did." Hannah said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She may not be the brightest, but that beautiful tattooed idiot is not _that _dumb."

"Hannah!" Barbara chastised while trying not to laugh herself.

Diana just rolled her eyes and smiled at both of her friends before her smiled faded and she bit her bottom lip worriedly. Hannah picked up on the sudden change and arched her brow as she leaned forward and placed her elbows on Diana's desk, Barbara imitating her actions.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked softly.

"I…" Diana started as she felt her face and ears begin to burn, "I may need some advice."

"Of course, Diana. Advice about…?" Barbara answered as she leaned even closer.

"I'm afraid that I am not very experienced in the area of...w-when two people love each other and they...do...things…" Diana trailed off as she looked at the very interesting white wall behind her friends as she opened and closed her mouth a few times before going silent.

Hannah and Barbara looked at each other in bewilderment before mouthing 'do things' in unison as they both did everything they could not to start laughing.

"Like...hugs? You're not very experienced in hugging?" Barbara tilted her head in faux curiosity.

"No-" Diana started, but was cut off by her auburn haired friend.

"Cuddling?"

"No, girls I-"

"Kissing? We'd love to help you out there but what would Akko think?" Hannah held her hand to her chest dramatically.

"Sexual Intercourse!" Diana finally shouted in frustration, eliciting loud snickering from her two so called friends on the other side of her desk, Hannah and Barbara both leaning into each other and covering their mouths to muffle their laughter. "You two are insufferable." She said through the hands that were now covering her face, hiding the furious blush that had taken over her features.

* * *

**Hello friends! Hope you enjoyed that one.  
My apologies for my long absence. I don't want to bore you with explanations but I just wanted to thank y'all for your patience and support. I going to really try to update more often so feel free to find me on tumblr and yell at me if need be. Mmmk?  
Thank you,  
Your friendly neighborhood Tibbs.  
Love y'all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_When It Rains_

Akko sat at the local coffee shop, biting her lip and absentmindedly staring out the window. The coffee in front of her was bound to be too cold to be enjoyable anymore and the pastry, which usually would be been inhaled in the first few minutes after receiving it, had barely been touched. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap to the tune of the chord progression she'd come up with that morning. It had always been a nervous tick of hers, to keep her mind busy when it was in danger of becoming a complete mess. She watched as people came and went, the bell over the door ringing every couple of minutes but there was still no sign of the one person she was waiting for. Akko looked down at her watch and sighed before finally ripping off a piece of her pastry and shoving it into her mouth when she caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened and her stomach was suddenly inhabited by butterflies that were batting their wings relentlessly against her insides.

Amanda O'Neill pulled the cafe door open and was greeted by the young hostess, the redhead smiled charmingly at the suddenly blushing girl who pointed in the direction of Akko's booth. Amanda's gaze landed on the brunette before she thanked and winked at the flustered girl and began sauntering toward the brunette, her eyes darting around the cafe as if to find anything else to look at but Akko. The brunette shifted in her seat as the redhead finally approached and plopped down in the seat across from her.

"Well if it isn't Atsuko Kagari right here in the flesh." Amanda flashed a lopsided smile as her arm came to rest on the back of the booth. "It's been a while."

"It has." Akko chuckled softly, the feelings of uncomfort faded away significantly at the sound of her former best friend's voice and joking nature. Amanda always had a way of putting the brunette at ease, and Akko was thankful that the redhead hadn't lost her touch. "It's good to see you."

"Is it?" The redhead smirked before leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting oh great one?"

"Can you not?" The brunette rolled her eyes as Amanda began to snicker.

"Okay okay. So what did you need, Akko? Chariot wouldn't tell me over the phone." The redhead's features softened as she spoke, her smirk fading into concern.

"Right down to business huh?" Akko chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. "No 'hey Akko, what have you been up to?' or anything?"

"Yes, well, that'd be a great question if I didn't already know what you've been doing lately, or _who_ you've been doing lately. Am I right?" Amanda winked and smiled cheekily as the brunette's jaw dropped.

"How….who…?" Akko struggled to string together a sentence as the redhead began to laugh heartily.

"Heard it through the grapevine my friend. Well Frank heard it from Andrew, his best friend, and Frank and Lotte have been a thing for forever now." Amanda held up her fingers with each new person. "Lotte and I own the bar together so naturally..." she shrugged and smiled at the waitress who set coffee and a pastry down in front of her before turning back to Akko, "naturally I overheard them talking and asked about it after Frank left." The redhead chuckled as she poured some sugar into her coffee, the brunette nodding slowly across from her. "You and Cavendish though, never thought you'd get your head out of your ass long enough to fix _that_ situation."

"Thanks." Akko deadpanned before shoving a large piece of pastry in her mouth and chewed slowly while Amanda watched her in amusement. After swallowing she began tapping her fingers on the table as she chewed on her bottom lip. "So you know about…" she trailed off, finding it as hard as ever to say the words, and when she saw the redhead's expression immediately fall, she knew she wouldn't have to finish that sentence.

"Yeah." Amanda scratched her cheek and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm...really sorry about that, Akko."

Akko smiled sadly and looked down at her fidgeting hands. Was it always going to be this hard? Every time the subject was brought up, it was like the pit in her stomach opened wider, swallowing her resolve and leaving the pain and fear behind to shine through. She was going to need to keep this conversation moving before she had a chance to drown any further.

"Amanda, I want to get the band back together." Akko said almost too quickly for the redhead to understand her.

"You...what?" Amanda's eyebrows nearly shot to her hairline in surprise.

"I…" the brunette swallowed hard before continuing, "I need you guys. I need the band."

"Akko," the redhead furrowed her brows and leaned closer, "you know we all have lives, responsibilities, we can't just…" she trailed off as she rubbed her forehead and let out a long sigh. "Why? Why now?"

"It's for...Diana. Look, I know I was...a terrible person in the past. And I understand if you guys want nothing to do with me. I'm just asking for one performance, just one performance and then you won't ever have to see me again if you don't want to." Akko pleaded quickly. "If you won't do it for me, please do it for Diana."

"Just one performance...for Diana? That's why you want to get us back together?" Amanda arched a brow and waited as the brunette stayed silent for a long moment.

"Yes." Akko finally answered. "Yes, but...honestly I'd give anything to play with you guys again. I miss it, I miss all of you." She finally locked gazes with Amanda, her eyes both apologetic and hopeful. "I'm asking you guys play with me again for more than just Diana's sake, I need you guys with me, please."

The redhead just stared for a long time before she picked her coffee mug up and took a long sip. Akko waited patiently, although her resolve weakened with every second of silence that passed between them. Amanda stared out of the window as she chewed her bottom lip, clearly struggling internally.

"How long do we have before we'd have to perform?"

Akko's eyes widened immediately at the question.

"I...I don't know. I haven't planned anything."

The redhead nodded slowly and took another large sip of her coffee before meeting the brunette's gaze once more.

"I'd have to talk to the others," Amanda pulled out her wallet and pulled out too much money before tossing it haphazardly onto the table and began to stand up, "but I'm confident they'll be happy to help you out."

Akko clumsily pulled her own wallet out and threw some money onto the table before standing and quickly catching up to Amanda who was almost to the exit.

"Really?" The brunette said in disbelief as she pushed the door open and allowed Amanda to pass through.

"Don't sound so surprised Akko. We all still care about you, we're like family. What happened between us doesn't change that fact." The redhead turned and smiled a smile that Akko had missed so much. "We knew you'd come around. You always do."

Akko felt the familiar moisture building up in the corners of her eyes as she smiled up at Amanda, feelings of relief, gratitude and love spilling over as she couldn't contain herself any longer. She surged forward and wrapped a suddenly surprised Amanda up in a bone crushing hug, her tears soaking into the redheads t-shirt.

"Thanks, Amanda." Akko mumbled into the redhead's shoulder.

"Alright alright...enough with the water works, geez." The redhead chuckled as she playfully pushed the brunette away from her. "So where's Cavendish at? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't take the chance to annoy her for old time's sake before I head back."

"How thoughtful of you." Akko snickered as she wiped her tears away and grinned happily. "You really were the best at that."

"Am. I am the best at it. I'm just a little out of practice, but I'm sure it's like riding a bike." Amanda shrugged and began to follow Akko down the sidewalk.

"Hey Amanda?"

"Yeah?"

"This may seem like a really weird question, but do you know any magicians?"

"You're right Akko, that is a pretty weird question. And I'm ashamed to say...that I do know a magician."

"Wait...seriously?!"

"Unfortunately."

* * *

Diana and Croix sat in front of the controls in the studio looking through the glass, Hannah and Barbara stood on the other side, instruments in hand as they played in perfect sync with one another. The blonde had a proud smile on her face as she watched her friends, as always she enjoyed listening to their music immensely. The pair seemed to have such a deep connection that they could read each other's thoughts and knew each other's next moves before they knew themselves, and it made for the impressive performances they were known for. With the deep rich sounds of Hannah's cello and the melodic haunting tone of Barbara's viola, they made the perfect duo.

"Amazing job ladies." Croix said through the microphone after the last notes faded out, Hannah and Barbara smiling brightly at each other for nailing the song on the first go. The older woman let go of the button and turned to Diana with an exasperated expression. "How do they never need to re-record?"

Diana just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as Hannah and Barbara exited the booth and collapsed on the couch at the back of the control room.

"I'm so happy that's finally over." Barbara sighed and leaned her head back against the back of the couch.

"Yes, we've been stressing over that song for weeks now!" Hannah added, mirroring her friend's actions. "What I need is a relaxing night vegging out and watching mindless television. No more stress."

Suddenly the four woman in the room heard something completely unexpected coming from the hallway. And while Hannah had hope for relaxation, what they heard instantly raised her blood pressure.

"Heeeey Gayvendish! Wheeere are yoooou?"

The four women looked at each other in surprised horror as the voice drew closer.

"Was that…?" Barbara asked with wide eyes.

"It couldn't be." Hannah gasped before they heard a different voice echoing from the hallway.

"Amanda will you stop yelling?"

Diana brought her hand to her forehead with a barely audible slap when she heard Akko's voice speak the name.

"Oh my god." Hannah whispered loudly in panic. "Just be quiet! Maybe she'll leave if she thinks we're not here."

"Hannah, Akko knows I'm here." Diana whispered back just as loudly. "We have a session planned in 30 minutes."

"Then you go out there and...lead her away or something." The auburn haired girl snapped back just as the voices seemed as if they were just outside the door now.

"The cute receptionist told us she was in one of the studios."

"She has a name. And that still doesn't mean you have to yell."

"Yeah yeah."

Suddenly there came a knock and the door opened a crack and Akko's head peaked in, her expression brightening instantly when she caught sight of Diana, who couldn't help an adoring smile of her own.  
"Hey Diana, you busy?" The brunette asked as her eyes darted to the other three women.

"We just finished. You can come in." The blonde answered, grinning mischievously when she saw Hannah bury her face in her hands.

Akko nodded and opened the door fully revealing Amanda over her shoulder. The taller girl's eyes swept the room, her smile growing wider with every person she saw until her gaze landed on Hannah, it lingered there longer than than the others before she turned back to Diana and grinned toothily before finally making her way into the room behind Akko. The brunette approached the blonde, about to pull her in for a kiss but paused and looked around at all of the eyes watching them. Akko looked up at Diana with questioning eyes and found amused ones staring back at her before the blonde leaned down and captured Akko's lips in a quick soft kiss. The pair pulled away from each other and smiled until the brunette heard a whistle behind her, making Akko clear her throat and rub the back of her neck sheepishly before turning around.

"Now that is something I don't think I'll get used to seeing." Amanda chuckled and playfully slapped Akko's shoulder before moving past her and wrapping Diana up in a hug. The blonde went rigid at first, completely caught off guard by the affection before she finally relaxed and hesitantly returned it. "Damn it's good to see you," the redhead leaned back and smiled before giving Diana a once over, "and you look amazing."

"Amazing?" The blonde arched a brow and looked down at herself, at her very not amazing attire before narrowing her eyes at Amanda. "You mean I look amazing for a dying woman?"

"You said it, I didn't." The redhead shrugged.

The room went completely silent, everyone waited on baited breath as they waited for a reaction from Diana who hadn't moved a muscle nor looked away from Amanda. To everyone's surprise, the blonde covered her mouth and began to laugh, the redhead joining in as Diana shook her head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable. It's good to see you haven't changed at all." The blonde smiled for a moment longer before looking around the room at all the shocked faces. "I'm sure you remember Hannah and Barbara." She pointed toward the couch where the pair sat stoically.

"Of course I do." Amanda smirked, nodding to each of them, her gaze again lingering on the auburn haired girl, who arched a brow back at her.

"And I doubt you've forgotten professor Merides." Diana smiled innocently at Croix, who just rolled her eyes and looked as if she'd been trying to blend into her chair, hoping no one would notice she was still there.

"Sup teach." The redhead smiled slyly and nodded at the older woman.

"Kagari _and_ O'Neill in the same room as me. Joyous times indeed." Croix deadpanned.

"Ha! I knew you liked us." Akko said triumphantly, eliciting some very disbelieving looks from everyone in the room but the redhead.

"Of fucking course she liked us, who wouldn't?" Amanda smirked and held out her hand for the brunette to slap, which she did happily.

"Oh, I can answer that question." Hannah chimed in as she scooted to the edge of the couch.

"Rhetorical." The redhead held up a hand to stop the auburn haired girl and winked. "But thanks for the effort darlin'."

Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed as she stood up.

"Well I wish I could say it's been a pleasure."

"I'm sure you can do anything you set your mind to." Amanda smiled cheekily, earning a glare from Hannah as she passed before she disappeared through the doorway, Barbara hot on her tail.

"Well I have work to do so if you could take this little love fest somewhere else I'd appreciate it." Croix turned and put her headphones on, drowning the girls out without another word.

Akko and Amanda snickered in unison as Diana practically pushed them out the door and into the hallway.

"So, Amanda, any particular reason for your visit today?" The blonde asked after closing the door to the studio. "You...honestly are the last person I expected to see." Her gaze locked onto to Akko, brow arched curiously.

"What? You're girlfriend didn't te-" Amanda started but an elbow to the side stopped her immediately.

"She was in town! I...ran into her at the coffee shop!" Akko said a little too loudly before laughing nervously. "And now she has to leave! I'll...uh...meet you in your office in a few minutes okay?" She began to push Amanda down the hallway while she waved a very confused Diana away.

With furrowed brows, the blonde turned slowly and began walking in the opposite direction. After she disappeared around the corner, Akko stopped and forcefully turned Amanda around.

"What the hell was that Akko?"

"I don't want her to know that the band thing is happening okay? Or...if it happens. It's not even decided yet. Anyway…" Akko rubbed her forearm and looked up at her friend. "I want all of this to be a surprise. At least until I know it's actually going to happen."

"Oh." Amanda nodded slowly in understanding. "Yeah, makes sense. I'll let you know what the others say okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Amanda." Akko smiled appreciatively.

"Okay, you were right though. I should probably get going." The redhead turned and began to make her way toward the front door before she paused and looked at her phone. "Oh, Akko, my magician friend is working a small fair in Ashford next weekend." She said over her shoulder and with one last smile she started walking again.

"Thanks so much Amanda!" Akko shouted as the redhead opened the door and exited the building.

The brunette stood there for a long moment in disbelief of how well the morning had gone, of how happy she was. It didn't take a genius to figure out the source of this happiness, where this all originated from.

This was all happening because of Diana.

Diana was pushing Akko forward when she couldn't do it herself, even if the blonde didn't know it. If the brunette was being honest, she most likely would have never had the courage to talk to Amanda again if it weren't for Diana's request. Each day she was with the blonde, she could feel her world being put back together piece by piece and it didn't seem like she could ever do enough to repay Diana, but she was going to try.

Akko turned and walked down the hallway until she reached the blonde's office and took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked in, finding Diana sitting at her desk looking intently at her computer screen. The blonde looked over and smiled as the brunette entered, closing whatever she was looking at to give Akko her full attention.

"I thought you were going to bring your guitar." Diana stated with her brows furrowed as Akko sat in the chair across from her.

"I...uh...was kinda hoping we could work on lyrics today." The brunette leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk.

"Oh. Well I believe I have the notes from our last meeting somewhere-"

"Hey um...I was thinking we could just...not...do that song." Akko said hesitantly, shrinking into her seat slightly when Diana's intense gaze bore into her.

"I'm sorry, but...did you just say you didn't want to do the song?" The blonde stared at the brunette in utter disbelief.

"I...I want to start over."

"Are you serious? Akko-" Diana started as she pinched the bridge of her nose but was cut off before she could say anything else.

"Just...just hear me out okay?" Akko pleaded, and when she was met with a silent nod she continued. "The song we were working on was...great. And every word I wrote is how I really feel about you, I love you so much Diana. But...I can't let your last song be some generic love song."

Diana let out a soft chuckle and leaned her elbows on her desk before resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She studied Akko for a long moment with a small smile before she finally spoke.

"Tell me then, what kind of song do you have in mind?"

"A song that means something. A song that is beautiful and amazing...just like you." The brunette said softly as her cheeks were overcome with a slight blush, Diana cheeks fairing a bit worse as they flushed considerably. "I mean...you're Diana fucking Cavendish for christ's sake." Akko half shouted as she stood up and began pacing. "You're incredible and elegant and god...so talented and…"

"Akko-" Diana tried to intervene with no luck.

"I have no idea what I was thinking asking you to write a song with me and now it's like…"

"Akko…" the blonde said a little louder as she stood up but failed to stop Akko's rambling.

"...your last song and there's so much pressure because I want it to be perfect."

Diana wrapped her arms around Akko from behind, making the brunette jump slightly in surprise before relaxing and resting the back of her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"You know, for a rockstar you don't think very highly of yourself do you?" Diana whispered before she placed a soft kiss on Akko's temple.

"Well, I used to think way too much of myself so…" The brunette chuckled and turned around in the blonde's arms until their eyes met. "I just want the song to be as special as you are, Diana."

"Oh Akko…" Diana smiled adoringly before leaning down and placing a chaste kiss on Akko's lips, "Anything I write is going to be special. Don't worry."

"Woooow." The brunette laughed in disbelief as she took a step back out of the blonde's arms. "How could you do me like that Diana?"

"Aww...honey…" Diana took a step forward with her arms out, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

"Nope. You obviously don't need me here." Akko wiped a nonexistent tear away from her eye before turning and walking toward the door. "I'll be outside crying in my car if you need someone to listen to your special song."

"Akko don't leave." The blonde pleaded, now laughing out loud.

"Nooope!" Akko shouted before shutting the door forcefully, leaving a thoroughly entertained Diana alone in her office before the door swung open again. "Just kidding. I'm going to get my guitar. Be right back." The brunette said quickly before pecking the blonde on the cheek and leaving the office once more.

* * *

"_Ah, good evening Miss Kagari." Professor Finnelan deadpanned as Akko begrudgingly made her way into the large classroom. _

"_Hello professor." The young brunette sighed as she came to a stop in front of her professor's desk. _

"_I trust you know what to do by now. This is your third detention in two weeks." Professor Finnelan said in annoyance as she stood from her chair. "If it were up to me, you would have lost your scholarship by now." She mumbled as she lifted a bucket of cleaning supplies off of the ground and set it on her desk. _

_Akko just rolled her eyes and took the bucket before she could be scolded anymore. The woman was right, though, the brunette knew exactly what she needed to do. The routine had been nearly perfected by Akko due to the amount of times she'd been in this situation before. She wasn't sure why her professor complained so much about the number of detentions she'd given to Akko because her classroom had to be the cleanest one at Luna Nova. _

"_I'll be back in two hours and I expect this room to be spotless. Do you understand?" The older woman said over her shoulder as she opened the door._

"_Yes, professor." Akko answered unenthusiastically before the woman closed the door behind her, leaving the brunette alone in the silent classroom. _

_Akko looked around at the room, wondering where she should start today. She usually started with dusting before moving onto the whiteboards, but maybe she'll switch it up and wipe the whiteboards first. Variety is the spice of life after all. She groaned as she pulled a rag out of the bucket and began to wipe the elegant handwriting of her teacher off of the whiteboards when she heard the door to the classroom open. She expected to see Finnelan rush in to retrieve something she'd forgotten, but instead she saw a flash of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. Akko turned her head to see Diana Cavendish coming through the doorway. _

"_Diana?" The brunette furrowed her brows and dropped the rag to her side. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I…" the blonde fiddled nervously with a paper bag she was holding as she slowly approached where Akko was standing, "my evening practice session with Hannah and Barbara was canceled and I...had nothing going on so I figured I'd come to assist you."_

"_You're...assisting me with detention?" Akko asked suspiciously with an arched brow. "Isn't that like...against the rules?"_

"_Well if you want to get technical about it." Diana huffed and threw the paper bag onto Finnelan's desk. "If you'd rather not have the help then-" she started as she began to turn around but stopped in her tracks when a hand grabbed her wrist softly. _

"_NO! I'd….I'd love some help. Thanks Diana." Akko beamed, not noticing the slight blush now gracing Diana's cheeks from the contact. "What's in the bag?" _

"_Oh." The blonde shook her head slightly and looked at the paper bag she'd thrown haphazardly onto the desk. "I brought some snacks. I figured you'd get hungry since you'll be working past dinnertime." _

"_Aww...Diana, you do care!" Akko smirked and took Diana into a side hug. "I knew I'd get that icy heart of yours to melt someday."_

"_Don't push it." The blonde grumbled and playfully pushed the brunette away and let a small smile show through. "You get awfully grumpy when you're hungry. I'm simply saving everyone in the immediate vicinity from your wrath."_

"_Uh huh." Akko said with a lopsided smile as she folded her arms. "Sure Diana, whatever you have to tell yourself."_

"_Get to work Kagari." Diana giggled as she pushed a snickering brunette toward the whiteboard before she retrieved a duster from the cleaning bucket. _

_The next hour went by quickly for Akko, having company there made a world of difference for the ever talkative girl. Diana, the prodigy of Luna Nova and Akko's now best friend had to continually get Akko back on track when she'd go off on one of her many tangents, her ability to ramble on about the most random of things was matched by no one she'd ever met. Thanks to the blonde's strict nature, they were almost done with an hour to spare. While Diana finished sweeping the floor, Akko gathered up all the spare markers which she usually left on the professor's desk, but today she figured she'd put those away as well. The only problem was that she had no idea where they supposed to go. She sat down in her professor's chair and looked over all the drawers underneath the desk. _

"_Hey Diana? Do you know where the markers go?"_

"_Markers?" Diana looked up from the pile of dirt on the floor. "I'm afraid I don't."_

"_Huh." Akko shrugged and began to open the drawers on the left side. "Nope…" she mumbled after opening the first drawer. She then opened the second drawer and was met with the same result so she moved to the third and final drawer on that side. What she found, though, she wouldn't have expected in a million years. "Oooh my god." _

_Diana turned her head after hearing the exclamation and laughter coming from Akko before she made her way over. _

"_Akko what are you doing going through Professor Finnelan's desk?!" The blonde shrieked in disbelief until she finally saw what Akko had found. "Oh my god."_

"_Right?" The brunette giggled as she held up a large bottle of alcohol. "Finny is holdin' out on us."_

"_Put that away." Diana scolded as she nervously looked to the door to make sure no one could see them._

"_Oooooh what's this?" Akko held up an unmarked CD with a sly grin on her face. "Let's play it."_

"_Akko…" Diana sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing there was nothing she could say to prevent what was going to happen next. _

_Akko jogged over to the sound system connected to the various speakers around the room and loaded the CD. When the speakers came to life, the sound of 80s pop music rang out through the once silent room, making the brunette double over in laughter. _

"_Now tha is a twist." Akko shouted over the music before jogging back over to the desk where she'd left the bottle of alcohol sitting on the floor. She picked the bottle up with a mischievous smile, opened it, and held it out to Diana._

"_No. I am not drinking that."_

"_Suit yourself." Akko shrugged and took a swig._

"_Akko!" Diana jumped forward in attempt to stop the brunette but was too late. _

_Akko's face scrunched up in utter disgust before she covered her mouth and looked down at the bottle in horror._

"_You're unbelievable." The blonde stated in exasperation as she forcefully pulled the bottle out of the brunette's grip._

"_Thanks." _

"_That wasn't a compliment." Diana narrowed her eyes at Akko, who seemed to finally be over her shock._

"_What? You couldn't do it." The brunette folded her arms and matched the blonde's glare. _

"_Oh, please. I could do it, and I wouldn't gag for 5 straight minutes afterward." Diana retorted before picking up the cap to the bottle._

"_Then do it." Akko challenged, causing the blonde to pause. _

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I dare you to take a drink." _

_The pair stared at each other for a very long moment. Akko knew from experience that while Diana was poised and elegant, she was also very competitive and stubborn. She very rarely turned down any challenge the brunette threw at her, even when she very well knew she should. So with a determined huff, Diana brought the bottle to her lips and took a large swig of the liquid and forcefully swallowed it. Her jaw was set tightly and anyone could see that she was doing everything in her power to not react. Akko was grinning ear to ear as she watched, shaking in silent laughter as she took the bottle back from the blonde._

"_That was impressive I must say."_

"_Thank you." Diana mumbled before clearing her throat. "Now let's put it aw...Akko!" She shouted as Akko took another swig, her reaction only slightly better than before. "What the hell?"_

"_Oh come on Diana. Learn how to have fun."_

"_This is not my definition of fun."_

"_Oookay. Then let me have fun." Akko said as she swayed slightly. "Oh ho...this stuff is strong."_

_Diana sighed heavily and steadied her friend before helping her sit down on the floor behind the desk and sat down beside her. She studied a giggling Akko before a long moment, her smile growing as the brunette's gaze landed on her._

"_What am I going to do with you Akko?" The blonde asked softly as they stared into each other's eyes._

_Akko answered by holding out the bottle for Diana to take, which she did after she chuckled. She took a swig and didn't bother to school her reaction this time, letting her face scrunch up. They traded the bottle a few more times as they sat there quietly, listening to the fast beat of the 80s pop music filling the room until one particular song came on and Akko's eyes lit up brighter than a spot light._

"_I love this song!" She shouted too loudly as she attempted to stand up, almost tipping over before she grabbed the desk for stability. "Let's dance Diana!"_

"_W-what?" Diana stuttered as she looked up at Akko in horror. _

"_Dance with me?" The brunette's eyes were full of hope as she held out her hand, offering to help the tipsy blonde up._

"_Dance?" Diana swallowed hard and reached out to grasp Akko's hand. "O-kay."_

**Boom!**

Akko jumped at the loud sound outside of her window, coming to consciousness instantly as her eyes shot open in panic. She sat up quickly and frantically took in her hotel room as she blinked away her sleepiness. Suddenly there was a flash of light outside and Akko finally understood what had woken her up.

"Thunder." She mumbled sleepily as she flopped back onto her bed.

She closed her eyes and her mind replayed the dream she'd just had, the dream of a memory she'd almost forgotten about. The bad memories always seemed to overshadow the good in Akko's mind, but she and Diana had no shortage of good memories together. She was rather salty that the dream had ended before the best part, it had been the first time Akko had seen the usually uptight blonde really let loose, and the first time she'd seen her dance. It had truly been the most adorable thing she'd ever seen, and the dream had ended before she could see it again.

"Stupid stupid thunder." She mumbled again as the thunder crashed outside once more as if to rub salt in her wound.

And then she heard it.

Rain drops.

Akko's eyes flew open once more before she scrambled over to the window and pushed aside the curtains to reveal the raindrops slowly wetting the cement on the other side of the wall. She then rolled off of her bed and flipped on the light before digging through her clothes to find a clean pair of socks. After pulling them on, she slipped on a pair of running shoes and her sweatshirt, only pausing for a second to look at her very short sleeping shorts before shrugging and grabbing her phone, wallet and keys and running out the door.

The drive to Diana's house was short as the roads were completely deserted due to the storm and the fact that it was now after midnight. Akko had almost turned the car off when she realized what time it was, but she couldn't bring herself to pass up this opportunity. She pulled up to the small, elegant looking home and pulled into the driveway before turning the car off. She didn't waste any time before she jumped out of the car and ran through the rain before pounding on the blonde's door several times. After she was met with silence for a few minutes, she pounded again before she saw a light turn on inside the house. A few seconds later, the door opened slowly and Diana peeked her head out sleepy and confused.

"Akko?"

"Diana!" Akko said excitedly as she grabbed the blonde's arm and pulled her outside into the pouring rain.

"Akko have you gone insane? What are you doing?" Diana shrieked as she pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt.

Akko just giggled and looked up to the sky, letting the rain drops fall onto her face. She found Diana's eyes again, a toothy grin on her face as she reached up and cupped the blonde's cheek, caressing her impossibly soft skin with her thumb. Diana leaned into the contact, her eyes fluttering shut before she reached out and grasped Akko's sweatshirt tightly before pulling her close. Deep blue eyes opened to find loving crimson ones gazing back at her longingly before Akko finally tilted her head and pulled Diana down until their lips crashed into each other. The brunette pulled the hood off of Diana's head so she could run her fingers through the silky blonde locks as their mouths moved in unison. The rain drops fell faster now, soaking them quickly but neither of the girls cared when they were locked in the other's embrace. Akko snaked her other hand around Diana's neck as she deepened the kiss, ghosting her tongue across the blonde's bottom lip until she parted her lips, allowing Akko's tongue to clash with her own. Water rolled down their faces and poured off of their chins but they paid no mind as their lips moved in sync, as if they were created for only each other.

After too long without a sufficient amount of oxygen, the pair reluctantly pulled away from each other and stared into each other's eyes as they caught their breaths. Both girls physically shaking from the cold and the barrage of emotions flowing through them.

"A kiss in the rain." Diana smiled brightly as she pulled Akko's hood over her soaking wet hair.

"Check." The brunette smiled just as brightly back as she pulled Diana's hood back onto her head.

"I love you Akko Kagari." The blonde stated as she continued to catch her breath.

"I love you, too, Diana Cavendish." Akko giggled for her eyes widened a fraction. "Wait, hold on!" She shouted and ran to her car before climbing halfway in.

Diana watched in curiosity as the brunette fiddled with something inside the car for a long moment. Suddenly a song began to play, too soft to make out before Akko turned it up far too loudly for the time of night. The brunette climbed out and ran back to Diana and bounced on her heels excitedly. The blonde tilted her head and bit her lip as Akko grinned back at her.

"Do you remember?" The brunette asked hopefully.

Diana listened intently to the song, a popular 80s pop song by The Cure, of course she was familiar with it, but what was…suddenly she remembered. Diana began to laugh uncontrollably at the memory of herself and Akko dancing ridiculously to this song after drinking alcohol for the first time. It had been so long ago, it felt as if it had been a fading dream rather than a distant memory.

"You remember!" Akko said while trying to control her own giggle.

"I remember." Diana replied after calming down, a wide grin still plastered to her face.

"Dance with me?" The brunette asked as she held out her hand, perfectly reenacting that scene from all those years ago.

The blonde chuckled and didn't hesitate to take Akko's hand.

"Always."

_Spinning on that dizzy edge_

_Kissed her face and kissed her head_

Akko grabbed onto to Diana's other hand as well and spun her around, both of them giggling uncontrollably as they moved, not caring how out of sync they were.

_Dreamed of all the different ways, I had to make her glow_

_Why are you so far away she said_

Diana let go of Akko's hands and began to move on her own, Akko watching as pure love and adoration flooded her entire system. She couldn't help but the stop and just take in the moment as the blonde again let everything go and let herself have fun. Diana looked so happy, and Akko was now addicted to that smile, the smile she knew was only for her.

_Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you?_

_That I'm in love with you?_

They danced until the song faded away into the night, and they would have continued to dance if it weren't for the fact that they were soaking wet and being yelled at by Diana's irritated neighbors. Akko would make sure this wasn't their last dance though, because there was nothing that could compare to how beautiful Diana was when she allowed herself to be herself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10  
**_What The Future Holds_

"D-Diana." Akko's teeth chattered as she stood in Diana's kitchen, her clothes soaking wet and dripping onto the tiled floor. "W-why is your house so cold?"

"I-it's not that cold." The blonde replied as her shaking hand attempted to work the thermostat.

"H-hey Diana," the brunette grinned slyly when the blonde turned to look at her, "h-how about we get you outta those w-wet clothes?"

Diana turned and locked onto Akko with a disbelieving stare. The Japanese girl was visibly shivering, her arms wrapped around herself in attempt to provide her own body with any warmth she could muster, yet she found it the right time to try and come on to the blonde. Diana let out a huff of amusement and shook her head slightly before making her way over to where Akko stood.

"I do believe you are in worse shape than me, darling." The blonde chuckled as she reached out and ran her hands up and down Akko's upper arms quickly, deliberately avoiding the fire in the brunette's eyes as she stared back at Diana. "I have some dry clothes for you to change into." She mumbled as she stepped back to turn away, only to be stopped by arms quickly slipping around her neck.

"How about we both get out of these wet clothes then." Akko voice lowered, any teasing tone she'd had before was now absent, replaced by a smooth, seductive quality that made Diana visibly shiver.

"Akko…" the blonde breathed out as she tried desperately to control her heart rate as Akko leaned in close to her ear.

"I want you, Diana." The brunette whispered, her lips ghosting over the shell of Diana's ear lobe, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the blonde. Akko then lightly nipped at the shell of the pale ear before continuing. "I want to be yours in every way."

Diana grasped the sides of Akko's wet sweatshirt so tightly her knuckles turned white as her lower stomach lurched with pure want. The brunette began planting kisses along Diana's jawline, her head leaning ever so slightly to give the Japanese girl easier access to her exposed skin, her chest rising and falling more quickly with every touch of the brunette's soft lips. She'd never realized just how touch starved she'd become as the feeling of Akko fingers trailing down past her shoulders and over her breasts suddenly sent a wave of pleasure through her body. An unintentional moan slipped through lips as the brunette's hands delved underneath her shirt to find the sensitive skin of her hips, the sound suddenly jolting her out of the haze she'd been in. Her mind began to race as her fears and insecurities bullied their way to the frontlines and suddenly Diana froze, fully aware of how Akko's fingertips were slowly making their way up her stomach.

"A-Akko?" The blonde said softly, her voice cracking slightly.

"Hmm?" The brunette answered as she her kisses trailed down to the soft skin of Diana's neck.

"Akko stop."

Akko's hands froze at the blonde's ribs and she pulled away slightly, looking up at Diana curiously.

"Is something wrong?" She asked,furrowing her brows and tilting her head in confusion.

Diana's breaths came out shakily as she stared back at the beautiful girl in front of her, the beautiful girl who was everything the blonde could ask for, who was not failing at turning Diana on so completely that her mind could scarcely function at the moment. So why was she overthinking this? Why was she suddenly terrified? She'd waited for this moment for so damn long, so why couldn't she bring herself to move? What would Akko think of her now? If she knew…

"Diana?" Akko asked, a look of concern washing over her face as she pulled her hands out of Diana's shirt and rested her palm on the blonde's cheek.

"I…" the blonde started hesitantly and after swallowing hard she continued, "I've never...done this before." She fought her urge to look away from inquiring crimson eyes as Akko was visibly trying to figure what Diana had meant with that statement.

"You…" the brunette started in confusion, but suddenly realization washed over her face, "you're a virgin?" Akko's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Diana looked away in shame.

"Yes." The blonde mumbled.

The brunette stared for a long moment in shock before a grin began to grow on her lips until her brilliant white teeth showed.

"Diana…" Akko said quietly, softly chuckling when Diana refused to look at her. She then softly took the blonde's chin between her fingers and turned her head until their eyes met. "You say that like there's something wrong with it."

Diana's eyes widened slightly at those words, relief washing over her as she stared back into warm, understanding crimson eyes.

"You...you don't care?"

"No?" Akko's brows furrowed again in genuine confusion. "I'm glad you told me, though. We don't have to do this if you're not ready." She pulled her hand away from Diana's chin and began to take a step back before the blonde reached out and took hold of Akko's hands.

"I am ready, Akko. I just…" Diana trailed off, chewing her bottom lip as she contemplated how to communicate her thoughts, "I'm...nervous."

"Well I'd be surprised if you weren't." Akko giggled, bringing Diana's hands up to her lips to place soft kisses on the knuckles before she smiled warmly. "I'll be there for you every step of the way, you know that right?"

The blonde smiled and nodded her head once as she was overwhelmed with feelings of absolute adoration and gratitude. What had she ever done to deserve this? To deserve Akko? Just then the brunette's warm smile turned into a smirk before she spoke again.

"To be honest, I'm honored that you would choose me to be your first." Akko winked, eliciting an eye roll and chuckle from Diana.

"Shut up and kiss me you dork." The blonde grabbed onto the front of Akko's sweatshirt and pulled her in, crashing their lips together.

The brunette smiled into the kiss and shook slightly with laughter as she wrapped her arms around Diana's neck once more, their lips moving in unison as the passion from before returned in full force. Before long, to the blonde's disappointment, Akko pulled away and took Diana's hand in her own before walking backward, pulling the blonde along with a smoldering look on her face. Diana swallowed hard and licked her dry lips as she let herself be dragged along. Her heart raced faster as they moved down the hall and into Diana's bedroom before Akko stopped and turned around, immediately taking the blonde's lips once more in a deep kiss, her hands moving to the hem of Diana's sweatshirt before pulling back. Akko's crimson eyes searched the blonde's for confirmation that this was indeed what Diana wanted, and after a reassuring nod from the blonde, Akko began pulling the sweatshirt up and over Diana's head, only a thin tank top now remaining. Still gazing deep into crimson eyes, the blonde mirrored the action and pulled Akko's sweatshirt up and over her head, leaving the brunette in her tight white t-shirt.

"You sure about this?" The brunette asked softly, seeking one last confirmation from Diana.

Diana looked back at her for a long moment, although it wasn't in indecision. She was sure about this, more sure than she felt she'd ever been about anything in her life. The blonde simply wanted to take this all in, wanted to feel the calm for the storm brewing inside of her was set free. Slowly she grasped the hem of her tank top and pulled it up and over her head before throwing it onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor. Diana could see Akko's eyes widen slightly as her gaze momentarily flitted down toward the blonde's now exposed chest before looking hungrily back up into azure eyes. The action made the side of Diana's lips quirk up into a small smirk as Akko slowly moved forward, reaching out and running her fingertips up the blonde's sides while she took Diana's lips in a slow, deliberate kiss.

"God you're so beautiful." Akko whispered into the blonde's lips as her thumbs softly swiped over the hardened peaks of Diana's chest.

The blonde let out a shaky moan as she deepened their kiss, her tongue delving between Akko's lips before their tongues clashed together. Diana's hands found the hem of the brunette's shirt and tugged upward, pulling it off completely and adding it to the pile. She pulled away and took in the sight of a now half naked Akko in front of her, realizing she'd never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Diana swallowed hard as she reached out and traced the tattoo she didn't know the brunette had along her ribs. When she heard Akko's breath hitch, she raised her gaze to find the Japanese girl looking at her as if waiting for Diana to react, her breathing coming shallow. Akko then took hold of the hand that was frozen on her ribs and moved it upward, letting it come to rest on her own breast, feeling the slight tremble in Diana's hand. Akko leaned in and captured the blonde's lips once more before moving forward, forcing Diana to walk backward until the back of the blonde's legs reached the side of the bed, the blonde letting herself be lowered down onto it before Akko crawled on top of her and pushed her gently onto her back.

"Just relax. I'm going to take good care of you okay?" The brunette whispered into Diana's ear before nipping at her earlobe.

After hearing a shaky breath and seeing a small nod come from Diana, Akko grinned and began to place kisses down her neck before tracing the blonde's collarbone with her tongue. Crimson eyes lifted to see Diana biting her lip, seeming to be attempting to keep herself quiet which Akko wouldn't stand for. The brunette began to kiss lower until she took the hardened nub on the blonde's breast into her mouth, eliciting a sudden moan from the girl beneath her. Akko grinned slyly as she worked, Diana's body writhing underneath her, and the sounds coming out of the blonde's mouth were quickly becoming the Akko's favorite thing to listen to. The Japanese girl then moved lower, planting kisses down the blonde's flexed abs before slipping her fingers under the waistband of Diana's sleep shorts and underwear, pulling them down the blonde's long, toned legs until they were thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Beginning at the ankle, Akko placed slow methodical kisses up Diana's leg, all the while never taking her eyes off of the blonde's face, which ran through a multitude of expressions as Akko grew closer to her core. Before she reached it, however, she pulled away and let Diana's leg drop to her side, smiling in amusement at the look of disappointment on the blonde's face before she giggled softly, crawling upward until her hands rested on the bed to both sides of Diana's head. The brunette smiled down warmly before lowering herself and taking the blonde's lips in a passionate kiss as her fingertips trailed down past Diana's chest and over her stomach until she finally reached her destination. The blonde let out a gasp as she pulled away from the kiss, closing her eyes tightly as she bit her lip. Akko's fingers explored until she easily found the sweet spot, the contact eliciting a loud moan of pleasure from Diana, her body writhing as the brunette's hand moved against her bucking hips.

"A-Akko…" Diana whimpered as her breathing became more and more shallow. She wrapped her arms around Akko's back, digging her fingernails into the brunette's soft skin as the wave of pleasure she knew was coming reached the edge, ready to spill over at any moment.

"Just let go, Diana." Akko whispered breathely into Diana's ear as she focused on the spot that made the blonde tense up and shake beneath her.

Diana didn't have to be told twice as she allowed herself to succumb to ecstacy, her body seeming to have it's own mind as she writhed and bucked, riding out the pleasure while a near scream left her lips. When the wave passed, she let her limbs fall limply onto the bed as she struggled to catch her breath, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest while her head swam. Akko watched her with an almost proud grin as she leaned down and placed a kiss on Diana's forehead, before kissing her nose and both cheeks until she reached her lips, kissing them soft and chaste. She then lay down beside Diana before beginning to trail her fingertips up and down the blonde's stomach in random shapes as she waited for her to come down off of her high.

"Are you okay?" Akko giggled when Diana put her hand over her chest and sighed contentedly.

"I am far better than okay. That was...amazing." The blonde chuckled softly, her voice slightly hoarse before she turned onto her side to face the brunette. "I may need a few moments to recover..." she mumbled, her eyelids drooping as she draped her arm over Akko's hip, "before your turn." Diana yawned widely before blinking a few times to fight off the sleep that was threatening to take over.

"You need sleep." The brunette softly chuckled as she pushed a few stray blonde locks behind Diana's ear.

"But-"

"Shhhh…" Akko put a finger over the blonde's lips to quiet her, "sleep."

Diana hummed tiredly before her eyes finally closed, her leg moving to entangle Akko's before sighing once more. The brunette grasped the blankets and threw them over herself and Diana before she moved closer to the blonde, nuzzling under her chin before placing a kiss on her defined collarbone.

"Hey Diana?" Akko whispered, on the edge of dozing off herself.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Akko."

* * *

Diana opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the light shining through the opening of her curtains before yawning widely. After blinking a few times, attempting to wake up fully, she tried to roll over, but failed as there was a heavy weight pinning her arm to the bed. The blonde furrowed her brows and turn her head, her eyes finally focusing on the girl who had slept next to her, the girl who had showed up in the middle of the night to kiss her in the rain, to fulfill a ridiculous fantasy she'd had since she was younger. Diana knew is cliche and cheesy, but she couldn't help but want that type of romance, a romance right out of a movie. Though she thought she'd never have such a thing, that is, until Akko came along. Their relationship was anything but conventional or cliche, but the fact that the brunette would go out of her way to ensure that Diana got that cheesy moment she was longing for made the blonde fall even deeper in love with Akko, which she didn't know was even possible.

And then they danced.

Diana smiled at drooling brunette using her arm as a pillow and pushed some stray locks of hair behind her ear before lightly stroking Akko's cheek with her thumb, thinking back to their dance in the rain. She hadn't laughed as hard as she had the night before in a very long time, nor had she been that happy as the love of her life danced in front of her, soaking wet. It was ridiculous and nonsensical and so utterly Akko that Diana couldn't imagine going through her short life now without having experienced it.

Diana then froze when she remembered what had happened next, suddenly very aware of her and Akko's lack of clothing, and the proximity of certain body parts to one another. A furious blush washed over her face as she remembered how she looked up at Akko as the brunette's hands roamed over her porcelain skin, and Akko's unbelievably soft lips exploring her body…

"Mornin'."

The unexpected voice made Diana jump slightly, her breathing shallow as she locked eyes with the sleepy girl next to her. She swallowed hard at the adorable sight of Akko smiling sleepily and burrowing further into her shoulder before the girl kissed Diana's neck softly.

"G-good morning." The blonde stuttered out, her heart racing as the Japanese girl snaked her arm around Diana's midsection.

Akko must have noticed the unease, or the way the blonde's heart was pounding against her chest as the brunette lifted her head and fixed Diana with a look of concern.

"You okay?"

"I...I'm fine," The blonde breathed out nervously, avoiding the arched eyebrow from a skeptical Akko.

"I must be rubbing off on you because that was a terrible lie." The Japanese girl giggled before laying her head back down on Diana's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I was...thinking about last night." The blonde hesitantly admitted, willing herself to calm down. "And about how I'm very naked right now." She mumbled as she pulled the blanket up to her chin, eliciting another giggle from Akko.

"Understandable." The brunette nodded slowly before chewing her bottom lip for a moment. "Was...um...was it...okay...for you?"

Diana's eyebrows shot to her hairline at Akko's sudden change in demeanor. She'd been so confident the night before, she had taken charge and had definitely taken care of things. Why the change? The blonde shifted, turning onto her side until she was face to face with the Japanese girl.

"Akko, it was incredible." Diana said as she furrowed her brows. "I thought my…" she trailed off as she cleared her throat, "I thought my reaction made that clear."

"Oh good." Akko breathed a sigh of relief before flashing a lopsided smile. "I just...wanted it to be special for you."

"Akko…" Diana grinned happily before leaning in and placing a soft kiss to the brunette's forehead, "anything we do together is special to me. I couldn't imagine my first time being better than it was, because it was with you."

Forgetting her worries from before, she wrapped her arm around Akko's waist and pulled her close, their exposed bodies pressing together as she took the brunette's lips in a deep kiss, Akko reciprocating almost instantly as she draped her own arm once again over Diana's waist. The blonde pulled away slightly and pressed her forehead against the brunette's.

"I still owe you one, you know." She whispered against Akko's lips.

"You don't owe me anything." Akko smiled as she gazed adoringly into sparkling azure eyes. "Waking up next to you is payment enough."

"When did you become so adorably cheesy?" Diana chuckled as she rolled her eyes, beginning to lean in when an alarm on her phone filled the otherwise silent room. The blonde groaned and turned onto her back, reaching over to her nightstand to pick up her phone before bringing close to her face to turn the alarm off. Her spirits lowered, however, when she read what the alarm had been set for before throwing the phone onto the bed next to her and rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"Is everything okay?" Akko propped herself up onto her elbow, her brows furrowing in concern.

"I have a doctor's appointment soon. My blood test results should be in today." Diana mumbled absentmindedly, biting her lip worriedly.

"Oh." The brunette replied softly, her gaze dropping to where her fingers were fiddling with the bed sheets. They stayed silent for a long moment, both girls lost in their own thoughts before Akko reached out and took hold of Diana's hand, speaking quietly. "Do you want me to come with you?"

The blonde turned her head quickly with a surprised expression on her face, her eyes searching Akko's.

"Would you?"

"Of course I would, Diana." Akko smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I told you that you wouldn't have to go through this alone anymore, and I meant it. If you want me there, I'll be there."

"Akko I…" Diana trailed off, feeling moisture begin to pool at the corners of her eyes, "I would really like to have you there." A single tear slid down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away and smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"I'm pretty sure I should probably head back to my room and change first. I doubt my sleepwear is appropriate for a doctor's office." Akko chuckled and rolled to the edge of the bed, stretching to pick up the pile of discarded clothes on the floor.

"You're still living in that bloody hotel?" Diana sat up, her jaw dropping at the revelation.

"Well, yeah?" The brunette laughed nervously as she tossed the blonde's clothes to her. "It's not so bad."

"Akko…" Diana sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I've...actually been looking for a house." Akko admitted sheepishly as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, not noticing the blushing blonde's eyes lingering on her naked upper half, focusing on the tattoo that ran from Akko's ribs to her back, a branch of beautiful cherry blossoms if Diana wasn't mistaken. The brunette pulled her t-shirt down and arched a brow in amusement when she noticed the blonde continuing to stare. She cleared her throat loudly, jolting Diana back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"Like what you see?" Akko smirked and leaned back onto her elbows.

"Yes, your tattoos are beautiful, Akko." The blonde stated, not acknowledging the implication the brunette had thrown at her. "I've been wondering, do they all have a meaning?"

"My tattoos?" Akko mumbled with her eyebrows raised before turning her head to look at the various tattoos sticking out beneath the short sleeves of her t-shirt. "Most of them do, yeah. Hey, you want to get one right? You have any ideas in mind?"

"I...I have not seriously thought about what I'd get to be honest." Diana stated as she pulled her own clothes on. "Cherry blossoms perhaps?" She chuckled at the thought, not realizing Akko's expression had fallen slightly.

"Very fitting." The brunette mumbled, causing Diana to look at her curiously.

"Pardon?"

"They are beautiful...and represent the fragility of life." Akko stated before chuckling softly. "I know you were joking but it'd be the perfect tattoo for you." She lifted her own shirt and ran her fingers over the pink ink of the blossoms. "Plus we'd be matching." The brunette let go of her shirt and smiled brightly at the blonde in front of her, who rolled her eyes and laughed along.

"I'll think about it."

"And I'll make the appointment." Akko said as she bounced excitedly on her knees.

"It's a deal." Diana grinned at the excited girl she adored before she remembered why they were getting up on the first place. "You should get going, my appointment is at eleven."

"Right!" The brunette clumsily crawled off the bed and pulled on her shoes before rushing back to Diana's side of the bed and taking the blonde's lips softly in a parting kiss. "I'll be back to pick you up." She quickly turned and jogged out of the room. "Love yooooou!"

Diana sat there smiling like a fool until she heard her front door open and close. She laughed to herself as she slid out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, removing her clothes and starting her shower. Her usual morning routine went off without a hitch, although, she had spent a longer amount of time choosing her outfit, knowing that Akko would be coming back to get her. After changing only three times, which was no small feat, she made her way to the kitchen intending to dose herself with the caffeine she sorely needed. As Diana reached out to grab the coffee pot, she suddenly became very light headed, placing her hands on the counter top to steady herself. The wave passed and she was left breathing heavily and wondering what the hell had just happened. She stood still for another couple minutes to be sure, but eventually she let shook her head and dared to let go of the countertop and stood up straight.

"What in the world..?" She whispered to herself as she again reached out, this time taking the handle of the coffee pot in her hand before pulling it away from the coffee maker and turning to step toward her sink when the room began to spin quickly. She froze, reaching out for anything to hold on to and finding nothing before her vision began to blur, the last thing she remembered was falling to the ground as her world faded to black.

And then nothing.

* * *

Akko pulled into Diana's driveway, fully dressed now and happily whistling to herself as she turned the car off and slid out, grabbing the two coffee cups she'd stopped and picked up on the way from the blonde's favorite little coffee shop before walking quickly to the door. She knocked three times and waited, hearing no movement from within for a long time. After knocking again and being met with nothing but the same, she tried the doorknob and found that it was still unlocked so she pushed the door open slowly.

"Diana?" Akko called out as she closed the door behind her. "I stopped and bought us some coffee." She walked deeper into the home, the silence becoming concerning as she looked around with furrowed brows. "Diana? You still here?" She called again before setting the cups down and walking down the hallway and into the blonde's bedroom. Finding no one, she returned to the large living area, now noticing the shattered glass on the tiled floor in the kitchen. Not missing a beat, Akko ran around the center island and gasped audibly when she saw Diana laying there, unmoving, on the ground among the shards of glass. "Diana!" She shouted as she carefully knelt beside the blonde before reaching out with trembling hands, her mind racing toward the worst possible scenario as she lightly shook Diana's arm. A few tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook the blonde again a little more aggressively this time. "Diana!" She began sobbing as her voice cracked. "Diana please wake up. Wake up! Please don't leave me. Not like this."

"Mm."

Akko stiffened at the sound, her heart pounding violently before she moved blonde locks away from Diana's face with still trembling hands.

"Diana?"

"A-Akko?" The blonde mumbled groggily, her eyes opening but still glazed over.

Seeing the blue of Diana's eyes sent a wave of relief through Akko and after taking a few deep breaths she responded raspily.

"Yeah, it's me."

She was met only with a hum of acknowledgment as the blonde tried to lift her head off of the tile and letting out a quiet groan.

"Wait! Maybe you shouldn't move, Diana." Akko held her hands out. "Let me call-"

"No." The blonde croaked out as she began to lift herself off of the ground. "No...I'm fine, really." Finally she got herself into a sitting position and leaned her back against the cabinets.

As soon as Akko felt Diana was fine, as she said, the brunette crawled toward the blonde quickly and threw her arms around Diana's neck, letting her fear wash away in the form of tears running down her cheeks.

"Fuck Diana, don't scare me like that again."

The blonde slowly wrapped her own arms around Akko, running her fingers through brunette locks in an attempt to soothe her.

"I'm sorry, Akko." Diana said softly as she held her a little tighter. "I don't know what happened."

Akko refused to let go for a long moment, still holding on even after her tears faded away. Yes, this scared the hell out of her, but she knew the real reason she was holding onto Diana so tight right now. It was because one day Diana wouldn't wake up, one day she wouldn't open her eyes and tell Akko she was fine. She would be gone. And the brunette just realized just how utterly unprepared she was for it, realized just how terrified she was of what would be left of her when she lost Diana.

This was her reality, a future without the love of her life.

"Let's get you to your doctor okay?" Akko said hoarsely as she let go of Diana and leaned back onto her heels, giving the blonde a once over to make sure she hadn't been injured in her fall. "You think you can walk?"

"I believe so, yes." Diana nodded before she slowly pushed herself up, Akko taking her arm and steadying her as she stood up straight.

After gathering their things, Akko helped the blonde to her car, although Diana insisted she'd be fine walking on her own, the brunette refused to let go. The short drive to the doctor's office was rather silent, neither girl seeming to be in the mood for chatting. They walked through the double glass doors and checked in at the front desk before sitting side by side in the waiting area, Akko fidgeting with her hands in her lap as she chanced glances to the girl next to her. Diana for her part seemed relatively calm, although the brunette wasn't sure if it was a side effect of the fainting or that Diana truly was passive about the situation. But how could she be? How could she be so okay with what had just happened? How could she not be scared? How can she just sit there looking as if this was just some routine check up?

"Akko," Diana sighed, speaking to the brunette for the first time since leaving the house, "will you please refrain from looking at me like I'm a bomb that could explode at any moment?"

"Oh," Akko mumbled as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "sorry. I just don't understand how you can be so calm about this." She whispered loudly, attempting to keep her volume low which was not one of her strong points.

"Ms. Cavendish?" A nurse appeared in the open doorway with a clipboard in hand, her eyes immediately landing on Diana before a warm smile appeared on her face.

The blonde nodded before looking at Akko with apologetic eyes.

"I'm a good actress, Akko." She whispered sadly before taking the brunette's hand in her own and interlocking their fingers. "Though I must admit, you simply being here with me is calming in of itself. Thank you."

Akko let a small loving smile show through and squeezed the blonde's hand before the pair stood and met the nurse at the door before being led back to Diana's assigned room. The blonde with very familiar with the routine and went through the motions as the nurse weighed her and took her blood pressure before leaving the room. Akko opened her mouth to speak, wanting to continue their conversation from earlier but as soon as she did, the doctor made his way into the room, flipping through the pages on his clipboard. After closing the door behind him he finally looked up with a smile but froze momentarily when he noticed Akko sitting next to Diana.

"Hello Diana. How have you been ?" He asked as he placed a chair in front of pair and sat down.

"Hello Dr. Turner. I've been...fine. Thank you." She winced slightly at the hesitation, knowing the doctor would catch on to her fib, and by the way he pursed his lips before turning to Akko beside her, she knew he had.

"I don't believe we've met." The doctor held out his hand, waiting for the brunette to shake it.

"Oh. I'm Akko," She reached and took Dr. Turner's hand before continuing, "Diana's...um…" Akko furrowed her brows and turned to Diana for help. They'd never had a conversation about what they actually were, they've just been...together.

"Girlfriend. Akko is my girlfriend." The blonde intervened, her lips twitching in an attempt to hold back a smirk at the look of awe on Akko's face.

"Right! I'm Diana's girlfriend." The brunette said proudly as the doctor's eyes flitted between the two in confusion.

"That's...great. It's a pleasure to meet you, Akko." Dr. Turner chuckled a bit before once again turning to Diana. "So, Diana, something tells me you aren't as fine as you're telling me you are." He spoke in a somewhat fatherly tone. "You know we can't help if we don't know what's going on."

"I know." The blonde mumbled for letting out a long sigh. "I...fainted this morning."

Dr. Turner nodded slowly before flipping over the first page on his clipboard and read whatever had been written there.

"How much have you eaten in the last couple days?"

Diana's icy blue eyes shot to attention, her brows furrowing as she thought seriously about the question.

"Not...much." She hesitantly answered.

"I see." The doctor sighed and set his clipboard down before fixing Diana with a serious look. "You _need _to take care of yourself Diana. You're not doing yourself any favors here."

The blonde just folded her arms and nodded, avoiding eye contact like a child that had just been chastised. Akko couldn't help but watch in amusement as the always commanding Diana Cavendish shrunk under the doctors stare, it was very cute to say the least.

"Your blood work came back as we expected, the progression of the cancer hasn't escalated, nor has it slowed. I am fairly certain you fainted because you're not eating enough, in combination with our illness of course." When Diana just nodded, Dr. Turner turned to Akko with a warm smile. "I trust you'll take care of her from now on?"

"You can count on me sir." Akko replied proudly, causing the doctor to chuckle and stand from his chair.

"Diana, you are as stubborn as your mother was." He stated in amusement before his features turned soft. "You're just as strong too, you know. Just take care of yourself."

"I will, thank you Dr. Turner." Diana finally smiled for the first time since the doctor entered. It was true that she didn't enjoy being told what to do, she knew the man just wanted the best for her. He had practically become family to her after spending so much time in the hospital with her mother, and he happened to be her attending physician. She didn't remember much about her father, as he had passed away early on in her life, but she could imagine him being a lot like Dr. Turner.

"Alright, here's a copy of your test results," The doctor handed over a few sheets of paper before continuing, "and I'll see you next week." When Diana nodded, he turned to Akko. "It was nice to meet you, Akko." He then left the room, leaving the pair of girls in silence.

"Hey Diana?" Akko said softly after a long moment of quiet between them.

"Hmm?" The blonde hummed, her tired eyes looking up from her test results.

The brunette opened her mouth but shut it before she let any words slip out. She just now noticed how exhausted Diana looked, the stress of the morning had no doubt taken a great toll on her. Akko had so many questions she wanted to ask, so many questions threatening to spew out at any second but she knew now wasn't the right time. What Diana needed was support and comfort, she'd needed Akko to just be there, and that's what Akko would do.

"I'm starving. Wanna go get something to eat?" The brunette grinned toothily causing the blonde to chuckle softly and roll her eyes.

"Already starting with the eating thing huh?"

"I did promise the doc I'd take care of you didn't I?" Akko giggled before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Diana's lips, pulling away and leaning her forehead against the blondes. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me have to hold you down and force feed you."

"You wouldn't." Diana glared playfully at the brunette, who began to snicker.

"Wanna bet?" Akko asked cheekily.

Diana worked her jaw and narrowed her eyes as a smirk slowly grew on the brunette's face.

"Didn't think so." Akko said triumphantly and leaned back in her chair.

"You're unbelievable." The blonde chuckled and shook her head in exasperation.

"Thank you."

"Not a compliment."

"Whatever you say darlin'."

* * *

"Alright ladies, I've asked you here today to discuss why Akko wanted to meet with me." Amanda stated as she sat on the bar stage, the four other former band members sitting at a table in front of her.

Lotte leaned forward slightly, very curious as to what their former bandmate could have wanted while Sucy seemed as though she hadn't even heard the redhead. Jasminka watched Amanda curiously as she munched on the chips and salsa she'd made herself and Constanze was fiddling with a speaker that had stopped working in the bar the night before. The bar was otherwise silent as it was too early for them to be open yet, only a few staff members coming in and out in preparation for opening time.

"How do y'all feel about picking up your instruments again for one last hoorah as a band?" Amanda asked cheerfully, smiling with excitement as the four other girl's jaws dropped in response.

"She wants to get the band back together?" Lotte asked in disbelief.

"Oh, that's unexpected." Jasminka said excitedly as she bit loudly into a tortilla chip.

"Why?" Sucy inquired suspiciously.

Amanda sighed and rubbed the back of her neck as her gaze flitted to each girl before locking eyes with Lotte.

"Well, you all know Akko and Cavendish are a thing now right? She wants to put on a concert for Diana. Because...apparently she'd like to see our band play together before…uh...ya know, before she..." Amanda trailed off, struggling to get the words out.

Suddenly the mood turned somber, each girl's expression falling at the implication behind Amanda's words. Even the ever disinterested Sucy looked saddened by thought.

"It's been such a long time." Lotte mumbled quietly, but still loud enough for the others to hear.

"You think we'll be able to play together again after everything that's happened?" Sucy chimed in, asking a question that everyone else was no doubt already thinking.

"I don't know." Amanda replied, looking down at her fidgeting hands in her lap for a moment before looking up with a hint of determination. "I don't know, but I think we should try. We should try because Akko is still our family, and she's changed a lot. She's changed for the better."

"We should try for both Akko and Diana." Lotte added before standing up and nodding. "I'm in."

"Me too." Jasminka smiled warmly before eating another chip happily.

Constanze looked between all of them before shrugging and gave Amanda a thumbs up. Then silence hung over them once more as all eyes landed on Sucy who was still staring at Amanda skeptically.

"How about you, Suc?" The redhead raised her eyebrows at the pale girl, waiting for an answer.

"Ugh. Whatever." Sucy shrugged after a long moment, eliciting an excited squeal from Lotte who threw her arm around her shoulders.

Amanda didn't miss the small smile gracing Sucy's face as her own grin grew quickly. She clapped her hands together and slid off the stage before joining the girls at the table.

"Alright." The redhead rubbed her hands together excitedly before a sly smile adorned her lips. "How about we go to a magic show to celebrate huh?"

"Seriously?" Sucy deadpanned, her brow arching in disbelief.

"Are you dating that magician again?" Lotte asked in exasperation. "I thought she dumped you-"

"It was mutual!" Amanda shouted before clearing her throat and taking a deep breath. "Akko...is taking Diana to a magic show. How about we join them and give them the good news to celebrate?" She said the words slow, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

"Your ex's magic show?" Sucy droned.

"...Maybe." Amanda's said hesitantly as she folded her arms and looked away.

"But this has nothing to do with your ex?" Lotte asked suspiciously.

"NO!"

"That's too bad. I like her." Jasminka chimed in.

"Hhhhhh I hate you guys."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_A Magical Night_

"You're seriously still not going to tell me why we're going to Ashford?" Diana whined after finding two open seats on the train, the girls settling in for the thankfully short trip.

"Aw...what would be the fun in that?" Akko replied mischievously, giggling when the blonde stared back at her unimpressed. The brunette took Diana's and hand interlocked their fingers before continuing. "You're gonna love it, I promise."

Diana visibly relaxed as she gazed lovingly at Akko, who donned a bright, reassuring smile. The blonde returned the smile and leaned her head back, watching the scenery race past them as the train sped along to their destination. As she felt the brunette's thumb run softly over the sensitive skin of her hand, Diana closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she went over the past week since she'd fainted in her kitchen. Akko had reacted as the blonde expected, a little clingy and too observant, but what surprised Diana was how she didn't mind the brunette's behavior at all. If it were anyone else stuck to her side like glue, anyone else she constantly caught watching her as if she was a ticking time bomb ready to explode, she might be annoyed enough to punch that particular person in the face. With Akko, though, the sticking and the watching came with genuine love and smiles as bright as the sun, exactly what Diana needed. How was it possible that Akko always knew what she needed, when she needed it? The blonde had no idea but would never cease to be grateful for it.

The two sat there in comfortable silence for most of the ride until the brunette couldn't quite hold in the question she'd been wanting to ask the blonde for a while now.

"Hey Diana?"

Diana opened her eyes and turned her head to find Akko biting her bottom lip and staring down at their interlocked fingers.

"Hmm?"

"I…" Akko began nervously, taking a deep breath before she continued, "Are you...scared? Of dying?"

The blonde's eyebrows raised in surprise at the question, opening and closing her mouth a few times as the answer to the question seemed to evade her. She lowered her gaze as well to look at Akko's calloused fingers hold on to her hand a little tighter.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't ha-" the brunette began backtracking before Diana stopped her.

"No. No Akko, it's okay." The blonde took a deep breath and wet her lips before lifting her gaze to find crimson eyes staring back at her. "The truth is that I'm terrified."

"You act like it doesn't bother you at all, though." Akko turned her body to face Diana.

"I act that way around others, it's a habit I can't quite kick." The blonde chuckled and began running her thumb over Akko's knuckles as she spoke softly. "No one sees the times when I break, when it's hard to breathe. When I just...want to give up on life."

Akko nodded slowly, letting the words sink in.

"I um...I get that. I mean, our situations are different but….I get it." The brunette rubbed the back of her head sheepishly when she received only a raised eyebrow in response. "After I lost everything I just...shut down. I would drink myself into a stupor, go home and cry myself to sleep at night." Akko laughed bitterly as she absentmindedly began to play with the frayed fabric of her jeans. "People would see me partying like I was on top of the world, but in reality I was at an all time low. I had given up on life, I wasn't living. I was breathing, moving, eating, sleeping...but I was dead inside."

"Akko…" Diana said softly as she reached out and cupped the brunette's cheek.

"Ugh I'm sorry." Akko giggled, although her eyes still showed the sadness within as she turned her head and kissed the palm of the blonde's hand. "That was depressing."

"There's no need to apologize, Akko." Diana leaned forward and kissed the brunette's forehead before pressing her own forehead against it, looking deep into shining crimson eyes. "Thank you for telling me."

"Thank _you_ for making me feel alive again, Diana." Akko said softly before she grinned and pressed her lips against Diana's softly, feeling the blonde smile into the kiss as well before she pulled away.

Diana opened her mouth to speak when they heard the announcement that they had arrived at their destination. She turned to look out of her window and caught sight of bright lights radiating out into the darkening sky in the distance and the very top of a ferris wheel sticking out above some distant buildings. Her eyebrows shot up before she turned back to Akko, who had a wide grin on her face.

"Are we going to the fair?" Diana asked, attempting to hide her excitement. She knew she failed, however, when the brunette's grinned turned into a smirk.

"Ya know, you're awfully cute when your inner child comes out." Akko said cheekily and giggled before standing up and offering the blonde her hand.

Diana's face began to heat up instantly as a blush took over. She rolled her eyes and couldn't help letting a smile show through as she took the offered hand and let Akko pull her into a standing position. The brunette took a step back and bowed before offering her arm to the blonde.

"M'lady."

"How chivalrous of you Ms. Kagari." Diana chuckled and linked her arm with Akko's.

"I do try." The brunette giggled and winked before leading the blonde down the aisle toward the exit.

* * *

"Alright, who's goin' on the tilt-o-whirl with me?" Amanda rubbed her hands together as she excitedly walk through the front gate of the fairgrounds. Her eyes were wide with awe as she took in the sight of all the rides she promised herself she would ride tonight. Her goal was to ride every ride, of course. "Jas? Wanna ride with me?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm only here for the food." Jasminka smiled apologetically before veering off into the crowd toward the food tents.

"I guess I should have seen that coming." Amanda mumbled before turning hopeful eyes to Lotte and Sucy. "How about you two? You gonna ride with me?"

"I heard there was going to be an antique book dealer here. I really want to see if they have anything good. Sorry, Amanda." Lotte patted the redhead's shoulder as she passed before disappearing into the crowd.

Amanda let out a disappointed sigh before her eyes landed on Sucy. The purpled haired girl would not be her first choice for company but it'd still be better than riding all these rides alone. The redhead opened her mouth to ask the girl if she'd like to join her but before any words could make their way out, Sucy just turned and walked away without a word.

"Fine I didn't want to ride with you anyway." Amanda said in irritation before she turned around. "So how about you Cons? You gonna…" she began, looking around everywhere but couldn't see the shorter girl anywhere around her, "abandon me too?" The redhead's shoulders slumped as she turned toward the rides and began zig-zagging her way through the crowd when suddenly she caught sight of a familiar auburn ponytail and bright yellow bow in the line for the tilt-o-whirl. Amanda perked up immediately, a smile growing on her face as she approached the girl and leaned in close to her ear.

"Hey, beautiful. You come here often?"

The girl jumped, nearly dropping the phone she'd been looking at before she spun around quickly. As soon as the girl recognized just who was talking to her, she narrowed her eyes and let out an annoyed huff.

"No, but I'd imagine that you get slapped in the face often." Hannah said through grit teeth before turning around again.

"It doesn't happen as often as you would think." Amanda chuckled softly and moved to stand next to the girl. "Mind if I join you?"

Hannah's eyebrows shot up instantly, turning toward the redhead in a state of shock.

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason to catch up with an old friend?" Amanda put her hand to her chest as if she had been offended by the question.

"We were never friends." Hannah retorted with a roll of her eyes. "You made that clear with the many nicknames you gave me."

"Ah come on ginger, they were created out of love." The redhead snickered and playfully nudged the other girl's arm with her elbow. "I only did it because your reaction was cute as hell."

Hannah froze at the admission, her head whirling at the fact that Amanda O'Neill had just called her cute. The auburn haired girl was no stranger to being complimented, it was a very common occurrence whenever she went out to bars or attended social events, but they usually came from men who were just trying to flatter her in order to take her home. When it came from Amanda, however, it seemed rather genuine. The redhead had no reason to lie and Hannah really liked the way it made her course, Amanda could never know that.

"Shut up. What are you even doing here anyway?" The auburn haired girl asked, trying her best fake irritation as the line to the ride began to move forward.

"I had a suspicion a certain idiot brunette would be bringing a certain cabbage head here tonight, figured the girls and I would show up to surprise them with our company." Amanda shrugged as the line stopped just short of the entrance to the ride. "Why are you here?"

"Well that idiot brunette invited Barb and I, and told us the wrong time to be here." Hannah replied, not having to fake the annoyance this time. "I swear I don't get what Diana sees in her, but she makes her happy somehow."

Amanda laughed loudly, nodding her head vigorously in agreement.

"It's weird right?" The redhead said between bouts of laughter.

"Very weird." Hannah chuckled a bit as she watched Amanda sigh in contentment.

"They're good for each other though. Akko has changed a lot lately. Changed back to who she used to be, ya know?" Amanda turned to meet the auburn haired girl's eyes and grinned. "It feels right doesn't it? Like everything is finally how it's supposed to be."

Hannah paused for a moment, contemplating the words Amanda had said, and she couldn't disagree. It seemed that Akko coming back into Diana's life had been the best thing for everyone involved, even affecting herself and Amanda. Everyone did seem happier, as if this was how it was always supposed to be. A few mistakes were made but eventually it all worked out how it was supposed to.

"Speaking of things being like they're supposed to be, where is Barbara? You two are usually joined at the hip." Amanda mused as they finally enter the ride and sat next to each other in one of the cars.

"We passed some old book dealer and she just _had _to check it out. I've been traded in for some dusty old novels." Hannah rolled her eyes when the redhead began snickering.

"You too?"

"Someone abandoned you for books?" The auburn haired girl raised her brows in surprise.

"Lotte." Amanda simply stated, eliciting a slow understanding nod from Hannah. "At least we have each other right?" The redhead inquired hopefully.

Hannah stared at Amanda for a moment, as if she was a puzzle that she just could not figure out. The redhead was different than she remembered. She was still the rambunctious redhead she'd known all those years ago but she was also charming, and somewhat mature. She was also so hot. Hannah's eyes widened when that thought entered her head, feeling her cheeks heat up in a slight blush as she turned away from emerald quickly and cleared her throat.

"Sure."

"Alright!" Amanda said excitedly and threw her arm around Hannah's shoulders. "You can hold onto me if you need to darlin'." The redhead grinned and winked.

A suddenly flustered Hannah swallowed dryly and grabbed the bar that had dropped down to their waists, gripping it tightly until her knuckles turned white.

Hannah England was in trouble.

Akko and Diana walked through the gate of the fair hand in hand, the blonde's eyes lighting up instantly as she took in the sight of the fair. She smiled as she heard the screams and laughter from the ride nearby and inhaled the scents of the various foods being served at the row of booths to their right. She hadn't been to a fair since she was a small child. It seemed she'd always had more important things to do than indulge in childish whimsy, at least that is what her aunt had told her over and over again.

"What do you want to do first, Diana?"

Diana peeled her eyes away from the bright lights and turned toward the soft voice next to her. Akko was watching her with an adoring smile as she waited for an answer, reaching out and taking the blonde's other hand in hers. Diana again looked around the grounds and her eyes paused on the rather large ferris wheel she'd spotted from the train before turning back to Akko excitedly.

"Can we ride the ferris wheel?"

"Of course." Akko giggled as she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Diana's cheek before turning and leading the blonde through the crowd.

"Tickets." The young man at the ferris wheel droned, staring back at Akko and Diana in disinterest as they approached the gate.

"Sure!" The brunette replied cheerfully as she held out the tickets to the boy, but before he could take them she pulled the tickets away with a contemplative look on her face. "But…" she started as she pulled her wallet out of her pocket and took a twenty pound note out, "you wouldn't mind letting us ride a little longer would you?" The brunette smiled her brightest smile and winked at the young man who looked at her money with the same disinterest.

"Yeah, whatever." The boy answered as he took both the tickets and the note before opening the gate for the two girls.

"Yosh!" Akko exclaimed, taking Diana's hand and pulling her up onto the platform and into the passenger car of the ferris wheel.

The two sat down together before pulling the safety bar down into their laps. The brunette leaned over and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder as the ride began to move slowly. Diana smiled as she leaned her head on Akko's and took her hand as they rose to the top of the ferris wheel. The two took comfort in the silence between them as they gazed out into the dark sky filled with twinkling stars, both relishing their time together. Each of the girls knew this wouldn't last forever, that these moments were limited for them, but both of them were happy in this moment. Living life in the present had been a challenge for Akko and Diana, either living miserably in the past or scared of what's to come in the future, but right now they had each other. It was more than enough for now. The blonde smiled as Akko began to hum a tune in her ear, taking the brunette's hand in her own before she began to run her finger tips over Akko's knuckles.

"Wise men say only fools rush in," The brunette began to sing softly, eliciting a bout of goosebumps down Diana's arms, "but I can't help falling in love with you."

Without thinking about it, the blonde opened her mouth and joined Akko in the serenading.

"Shall I say? Would it be a sin?" Diana felt the brunette lift her head, after turning she found that Akko had a look of shock on her face. The blonde let a small smirk show and continued. "If I can't help falling in love with you."

Akko was frozen for a few moments before a bright smile made its way onto her face.

"Oh...my...god. Diana you can sing?!" The brunette half shouted as she turned to face Diana in the small ferris wheel car. "How did I not know this?!"

"I...don't usually sing. I'm much better at expressing myself musically through the violin." Diana stated sheepishly, a slight blush overtaking her cheeks.

"But your voice is beautiful!" Akko excitedly shook the blonde. "Ooooh! You should sing part of our song! It could be a duet!"  
"I don't think so, Akko." Diana shook her head resolutely.

"Aww but-"

"Akko?!"

Both girls immediately looked up at the shouting coming from a few cars above them as their own car descended. Akko squinted into the bright lights before she finally caught sight of familiar fiery red hair and two bright emerald green eyes looking gleefully back at her.

"Amanda?" The brunette shouted back in slight shock.

"Hannah?" Diana shouted upward as another head appeared next to Amanda's.

Hannah's cheek turned a deep shade of red before waving in embarrassment to her blonde friend.

"No making out you two!" Amanda yelled louder than she probably needed to. "This is a family friendly ride!"

"Amandaaaa!" Akko groaned as Diana tried to disappear in the seat next to her, covering her face from the onlookers who had overheard the boisterous redhead. "I guess some things never change huh?" The brunette giggled to herself before glancing over to see that Diana's cheeks we more red than she'd ever seen them. "Awww Diana, are you embarrassed?" Akko's jovial expression turned into a mischievous one.

"O-of course not." The blonde replied before she sat up straight and cleared her throat, all the while avoiding the brunette's gaze at all costs.

"Uh huh," Akko rolled her eyes and leaned in closer to her girlfriend, "ya know, we'll be on this thing for a while." The brunette reached up and traced Diana's collar bone with her fingertips, feeling the blonde shutter beneath them. "I'll bet no one would even notice." She whispered into Diana's ear, her lips ghosting over the shell.

"Absolutely not." The blonde breathed out, scooting the last few inches to the side in an attempt to escape her seducer.

"You….are absolutely adorable when you're flustered, Diana." Akko giggled uncontrollably as she brought Diana's hand up to her lips and place a soft kiss on the back of the blonde's hand.

"Unbelievable." Diana grumbled, eliciting another bout of laughter from her girlfriend. The blonde chanced a glance to the side, her annoyance immediately melted into adoration when she saw the unbridled joy in Akko's eyes. A loving smile made its way onto Diana's face as her girlfriend's eyes roamed over the bright lights of the many booths and rides on the fairgrounds. This girl who had dedicated her recent life to making Diana's life better than she could have ever imagined it would be was sitting there next to her, the lights, the music, the ride, the atmosphere was nearly perfect. If she'd learned anything over the past couple of months, it was that she didn't have time to be self conscious, she didn't have time to care what other people thought of her. Diana didn't have time to waste on being scared. And while she appreciated Akko doing all these things for her, she finally understood that she needed to make herself happy as well. She was aloud to add things to her bucket list right? A kiss on a ferris wheel seemed like a pretty good addition.

"Akko?" The blonde said softly.

"Hmm?" Akko turned toward Diana with her eyebrows raised, her eyes growing wide as the blonde cupped her face and leaned in quickly until their lips met softly. The brunette's initial shock disappeared almost immediately, reciprocating the kiss and cupping Diana's cheek with the palm of her hand as time seemed to stop completely. How was it that every kiss with the blonde seemed to be like their first? It was a little cliche when she thought about it, but when she was with Diana, the world around them really did seem to disappear. There was no one else but the blonde in front of her, and Akko wouldn't have it any other way.

The girls were lost in eachother for, who knows how long, when they suddenly heard whistling coming from above them before the cat calls began. Akko and Diana reluctantly pulled away and stared deeply into one another's eyes before breaking out into laughter at the teasing by their redheaded friend.

The ride finally began to stop, letting people off until it was Akko and Diana's turn. They made their way down the ramp to see Amanda and Hannah waiting for them off to the side. The brunette smiled and opened her arms up to the redhead, wondering immediately if it was the wrong move when Amanda seemed to hesitate for a moment. The tall girl didn't waste much time, though, and surged forward to hug her old friend.

"What are you doing here?" Akko asked as they let go of each other.

"I...uh..." Amanda hesitated as her eyes landed on Diana, "can we talk privately for a minute?"

"Huh?" Akko looked back and forth between the two girls with confused eyes before she finally realized why Amanda wouldn't want to say whatever it was in front of Diana. "Oh! Yeah. Would you two excuse us for a minute?" The brunette asked, a pleading expression on her face as she turned to the other two girls in their company.

Before she could receive a response, Amanda dragged her away until she was certain Diana and Hannah couldn't overhear them.

"You two are disgustingly adorable, you know that?" The redhead started off, snickering as she received an unimpressed stare from the brunette. "Anyway, I talked to the girls about the little show you wanna put on." Amanda continued, her voice lower than usual as she glanced back to where Diana and Hannah were still standing.

"And?" Akko replied in a hopeful tone.

"We're all in." The redhead grinned toothily as she watched the brunette's face light up, a tiny squeal escaping her mouth. "I wanted to tell you in person, and the others are here, too."

"Everyone is here?" Akko's eyes widened a bit before her surprised expression turned into a small smile. "Thank you so much, Amanda. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Ah, don't get all mushy on me now, shorty." Amanda joked as she reached and ruffled the brunette's hair. "Come on, the magic show is about to start." the redhead threw her arm around a giggling Akko's shoulders and led them back to the pair waiting for them.

Akko smiled brightly at a confused looking Diana and took her hand before beginning to lead them through the crowd, Amanda and Hannah right behind them. The blonde looked behind her to see Amanda and Hannah deep in conversation before leaning in close to her girlfriend's ear.

"What was that about?" She whispered as she dodged a small child running from their parents.

"What was what about?" Akko responded as she glanced at her watch and continued zigzagging through the sea of people.

"You and Amanda."

"O-oh. Heh. Um." The brunette cleared her throat and was about to respond.

"Ow!" Diana halted immediately, grabbing her back in pain as she leaned over.

"Diana?" Akko half shouted in concern as she put her hands on the blonde's waist, ready to hold her up if she needed support. "Diana what's wrong?"

"Diana?" Hannah said in a panic, coming up behind them.

"I'm….fine. I'm fine." Diana breathed out as she used Akko's shoulder to push herself straight again. "It was...just a bad cramp I think."

"Let's find somewhere for you to sit-" Akko started as she looked around the area.

"No! No Akko, I'm fine, really." The blonde responded desperately.

The brunette stared at Diana for a long moment, knowing that she should trust Diana when she said she was okay, but struggling with the fact that she still saw pain in those eyes. Akko glanced past her girlfriend and found a very concerned Hannah and Amanda staring back at her before nodding and taking Diana's hand once more.

"Okay." Akko said cautiously as they started moving through the crowd again, much slower than they'd been moving before.

It was silent between the girls as they drew closer to the edge of the fairgrounds where a few stages were set up for performances. The seats near the smaller stage were filling up quickly as they approached, Akko's expression lighting up once more when she saw the rest of the girls from her former band sitting there waiting for them. Lotte was the first to spot Akko before standing up and waving excitedly back at her, the others waving as well as the four girls moved through the crowd to take the open seats with the large group. Akko paused and allowed Hannah and Amanda to go first before turning to the blonde next to her, noticing that Diana was lost in thought and staring off into the distance.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Akko asked softly, taking both of the blonde's hands into her own and searching her deep blue eyes.

"I am now. I promise." Diana smiled appreciatively and squeezed Akko's hands in reassurance and leaned in to give the brunette a soft kiss before pulling away and glanced at the stage. "What are we doing here?"

Akko's concern washed away and she bounced on her heels in excitement as she turned and again began leading the blonde to their seats.

"It's a surprise!" She shouted over her shoulder.

The girls reached their group, Akko stopping a few feet away and nervously chewing her lip as she didn't quite know how to greet her old bandmates. Lotte stood up and slowly approached the brunette before immediately throwing her arms around Akko's neck.

"Hello, Akko." Lotte greeted happily as she squeezed a little tighter.

"Hey, Lotte." Akko replied in relief, a bright smile returning to her face. "It's so good to see you."

"Don't you disappear on us again. Okay?" Lotte pulled away and looked seriously into Akko's eyes.

"Heh." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly and nodded. "I won't. I promise."

After a few more hugs and greetings, even a surprisingly friendly pat on the shoulder from Sucy, they took their seats and settled in as the lights on the stage began to light up and a deep manly voice began to speak over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Geeeeeeet ready for the magical stylings oooooooof...the amazing Ella Burwick!"

The crowd began to clap and cheer as a very attractive young woman appeared through a cloud of smoke in the middle of the stage. As Akko cheered and clapped, she glanced over at her girlfriend and was elated to see the awe and excitement on Diana's face, not unlike the way a child would react in this very situation. Akko giggled quietly as she returned her attention back to the stage when the magician began to speak in a slight Scottish accent.

"Hello hello! How is everyone doing tonight?!" Ella asked happily, her voice coming out of the loudspeakers. The audience cheered and clapped in return for a long moment before she continued. "Glad to hear it! Let's get started shall we?" After more clapping and cheering, the young magician began her routine, starting with some smaller card tricks, using a mix of comedy and a slight of hand to entertain a few child volunteers she'd called up onto the stage. She soon moved on do more complicated, more captivating tricks, leaving the audience gasping in shock and disbelief. Akko had to hold back her laughter as Diana gasped and oooed and awed at every trick that was performed. The brunette was certain this is the most adorable side of Diana yet, and that was saying something because Diana could be pretty adorable.

"I'm going to need a little help for this next trick," Ella stated as some stage workers rolled a large box out, "would anyone like to volunteer?" The magician smiled as nearly half the crowd raised their hands eagerly.

Akko grinned mischievously before grabbing Diana's hand and lifting up, the blonde turning to the brunette in horror as she tried lowering her arm to no avail.

"Akko! What are you doing?" Diana whispered loudly as she continued to struggle.

"Tall, blonde and gorgeous in the back there! Come on up!" Ella said loudly from the stage.

Akko and Diana froze in place, turning their heads toward the stage they noticed everyone in the crowd looking back at them expectantly.

"Oh my god." Diana whispered as she turned back to Akko, who was obviously biting her lip to hold back her laughter. "I will get you back for this."

"Sure sure. Get up there _tall, blonde and gorgeous_." The brunette playfully replied, eliciting a long sigh from the blonde.

Diana finally stood up after some encouragement from the crowd and timidly made her way toward the stage. Once the blonde climbed the steps, she was greeted by the beautiful magician with an appreciative smile and a handshake.

"What is your name miss?"

"Diana." The blonde replied nervously.

"Diana! Thank you for volunteering tonight." Ella nodded her head toward the large box in the middle of the stage and began talking as she walked toward it, Diana following close behind. "I'm going to ask Diana to go ahead and lay down on this box and just relax her body." The magician gestured to the large black box to which the blonde did as she was told, except for the relaxing part. Diana very much could not relax, her body just as stiff as the wood she was laying on. "Now I'd like you to close your eyes, Diana. Picture yourself floating above the stage, light as a feather."

As some suspenseful music began to play, Diana closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she began to imagine herself floating upward, floating like a feather wood in a slight breeze. At first nothing happened, yet the blonde continued to concentrate as much as she could until suddenly the sensation of the hard wood on her back was gone. Her brows furrowed and she tried to grasp this new feeling, a feeling of weightlessness. Diana heard the gasps of shock coming from the crowd but didn't dare open her eyes in fear of messing…whatever this was….up until she finally heard Ella's voice once more.

"Open your eyes Diana."

DIana hesitated only a moment before she slowly opened one eye and then the other and turned her head towards audience. She knew immediately that this vantage point was much higher than it was when she had first laid down. Was she actually floating? Diana turned her head even further until she couldn't anymore, looking over her shoulder at the large black box several feet below her. The blonde suddenly went rigid as the audience began applauding loudly, doing everything in her power to not freak out until she felt a soft hand on her own gently pulling her back down to where she lay before until her back once again felt the hard wood of the box. Ella helped Diana sit up before helping her come to a standing position until they were standing side by side.

"How about another round of applause for my beautiful assistant, Diana!" The magician presented the blonde as the audience went wild once more.

In a daze, Diana exited the stage, descending the stairs and making her way back to where Akko sat waiting for her. The brunette stood up and excitedly threw her arms around the blonde's neck as she approached.

"That was so cool!" The brunette squealed before pulling Diana down into her seat. "How did she do it?!"

The blonde's mouth opened and closed again as she stared back into wide crimson eyes.

"I'm...not sure." She replied hesitantly but Akko only became more excited.

"So cool." The brunette mumbled as she turned back to the stage to watch the end of the show.

"Yes." Diana mumbled back before she let a toothy smile finally show through. "The coolest."

After a few parting words, Ella bowed and exited the stage in a puff of smoke, just as she'd entered, garnering the loudest applause yet. The crowd began to dissipate but Akko, Diana and their group stayed put under the direction of Amanda.

"Well," Akko began as she turned to her girlfriend and smiled brightly, "guess you can cross the magic show off your list huh?"

Diana smiled back, only it didn't reach her eyes like it had before. To the brunette's surprise, the blonde's smile almost looked...sad. Akko furrowed her brows and took Diana's hand before leaning in close.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Akko. I just…" The blonde trailed off as she wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye, "this brings back a lot of memories of my mother. I didn't think it would affect me to this extent, I apologize." Diana tried to laugh off her embarrassment as her eyes wandered, searching for something to distract her when she felt Akko squeeze her hand supportively.

"You're mom? Did she like magic or something?" The brunette questioned curiously.

"I'm not entirely sure if she liked magic, or pretended to like it because I was quite taken with it as a child." Diana chuckled, her spirits lifting a bit as she spoke.

"Is that why you wanted to see a magic show before...um…" Akko paused, her gaze moving to the ground and wincing at the implication of the end of that question.

"My mother surprised me with a magic kit and tickets to see a very popular magician for my birthday." Diana began her story, she smiled and her gaze moved down to where her thumb was absentmindedly moving over Akko's knuckles. "I was so excited. I practiced magic for hours every day in the few weeks leading up to the show but unfortunately my mother fell ill before we could go." The blonde's smile faded before she continued. "Our housekeeper, Anna, offered to take me but I couldn't bare the thought of seeing the show without my mother. I thought...I thought there would be another opportunity." Diana's words were barely audible as she seemed to be lost in a memory. "I would do my magic tricks for my mother as she was bedridden, it seemed to make her really happy. After she passed away I...just didn't want to even think about magic anymore because it would just make me so sad."

Akko listened intently to the story, hanging on every word until Diana stopped speaking, still staring downward as if she was stuck in her own mind. The brunette reached out and placed her fingers under the blonde's chin and lifted her head until Diana's eyes locked onto hers.

"Why the magic show then? If it makes you feel that way?"

"Because my mother would have wanted me to see it. Although she's gone, she is still here with me." The blonde let a smile show through again as she put her hand over her heart. "I was able to share this experience with the woman I loved, and also the woman I love now." Diana's smile grew a little more as she leaned in and softly placed a kiss on Akko's lips before resting her forehead on the brunette's. "That one memory is sad, yes, but you've given me more happy memories in the last couple months than I've had in my whole life. Thank you for doing this for me, Akko."

"I'd do anything for you, Diana." Akko whispered back as she stared deeply into sparkling azure eyes.

"Ay! Lovebirds!" Amanda shouted from a few seats away, effectively pulling the pair of girls out of their trance.

Diana and Akko turned their heads in unison to see that their friends were chatting with the magician, who had changed into tight jeans and a flannel button up shirt and her long brunette hair had been braided. Ella smiled at the two of them as the pair stood up from their seats and joined the group.

"You've met Diana already," Amanda spoke as she pointed to the blonde before continuing, "but this is-"

"Akko Kagari." Ella cut the redhead off before she held out her hand to the brunette, to which Akko took it and shook it politely. "Ella. I'm a big fan." The magician smiled warmly before turning to Diana and held her hand out. "We haven't formally met, I'm Ella."

"Diana, obviously." The blonde chuckled as she took Ella's hand, a little flustered if she was being honest.

Akko noticed, of course, and protectively took Diana's hand and moved a little closer before clearing her throat.

"My girlfriend."

Ella was surprised for a split second at the gesture before she let out an amused chuckle and took a step back until she was next to Amanda once more.

"I figured as much." The magician stated before turning to Amanda and bumping her shoulder playfully. "I'm a little surprised to see you here, you didn't say you'd be joining these two. Couldn't stay away hm?" Ella smirked as the redhead's cheeks flushed a bit and she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"O-of course I could. I'm just...here for support." Amanda mumbled.

"You know I'm just teasing." The magician laughed and wrapped the redhead up in a hug. "It is good to see you all."

Amanda reciprocated after only a moment's hesitation and the two hugged for a few moments longer before separating.

"So what about you red? Any new love interests for you?" Ella questioned, smiling warmly at the redhead who had finally relaxed a little.

"What? N-nah." Amanda stuttered as she chanced a glance at a certain auburn haired girl who happened to be watching them intently.

Ella noticed the glance and turned her head to see Hannah staring before the auburn haired girl looked away quickly, pretending to listen to the conversation that was happening between Barbara and Lotte. The magician's eyebrows rose before smiling knowingly and turning back to a flustered Amanda.

"Oh. Yeah. No love interests at all." Ella snickered quietly, causing the redhead to narrow her eyes. "She's cute." The magician glanced once more at Hannah before patting Amanda on the shoulder. "I guess if you don't have _any_ interest, mind if I take a shot?" She began walking toward Hannah without waiting for a reply from a panicking Amanda.

"Don't you dare." The redhead growled as she fell into step with a loudly chuckling Ella, leaving Diana and Akko alone again.

"So those two used to date." The brunette stated, noticing the utterly confused look on the blonde's face.

"That...makes sense." Diana replied as she nodded her head slowly.

"And Amanda has a crush on Hannah." Akko said as she watched Ella shake Hannah's hand and hold onto it a little longer than was appropriate, to which it looked like Amanda's head was about to explode.

"Well that much was obvious." Diana said in amusement as she also watched the events unfold in front of them.

"Amanda looks like she's going to punch the magician." The brunette said matter-of-factly.

"We should probably go stop her." The blonde said in the same tone.

"Eh...do we really _have _to?"

Diana furrowed her brows as she turned to her girlfriend before she remembered the protectiveness from earlier.

"Is Akko Kagari _jealous_ of the magician?" The blonde asked in utter amusement.

"N-no. Of course not." Akko replied rather unconvincingly.

"She is very pretty isn't she." Diana said playfully, a faux contemplative expression on her face.

Akko quickly looked at her girlfriend, her eyes wide with horror. Diana couldn't keep up the act for long as only moments later her shoulders began to shake in silent laughter. The brunette let out a breath of relief after seeing that she had been played.

"Unbelievable." Akko grumbled and crossed her arms, causing Diana's silent laughter to become audible.

Diana reached out and turned Akko's head until they were eye to eye and smiled lovingly.

"You know you're the only one for me. The love of my life." The blonde's genuine adoration for the brunette filled Akko with warmth and love and she showed it through the most loving expression Diana had ever seen on her girlfriend's face before she continued. "Now we really should go intervene, Amanda looks like she can't take much more."  
"Ugh...if we must." Akko mumbled in fake annoyance before she took the blonde's hand and led her to their group of friends.

* * *

**Hey there all you amazing people! **

**Thank you to everyone who is still in this with me. I'm sorry to have made y'all wait so long but I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you next time! **

**I LOVE YOU ALL!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_To Infinity_

"Just tell me what to say when you push me away. If there's nothing left for us, don't tell me stay." Akko belted out the lyrics into her microphone, her fingers moving effortlessly across the neck of her electric guitar. The brunette's reunited band playing perfectly behind her as if they'd never broken up in the first place. She turned her head and smiled joyfully at the scene of Amanda banging her head as Akko sang the next line.

"I love you, I hate you, nothing left for me to say." The brunette took a deep breath and looked to her other side, her eyebrows rising in surprise when even Sucy was moving to the music as well, their pale friend usually the most stationary of the group as she plucked away at her bass.

"You wanted me to be everything that you need. Finally I get in now, we just weren't meant to be." Akko looked again out into the large empty bar in front of them, imagining a crowd there dancing or banging their heads along to the music like she'd seen so many times before and finished out the fast paced song in dramatic fashion like she always had.

"I'm broken, It's true. But I'll rise up and get over you. We're through."

With one last riff from Amanda's guitar and a short drum solo from Jasminka, the bar finally went silent. Akko breathed heavily, forgetting just how exhausting it was to perform their fast paced songs. She should really work out more.

"Damn that felt good!" Amanda exclaimed as she walked over and fist bumped Jasminka before turning to Akko and chuckled at the sight of the out of breath band leader. "Good to see you haven't lost your touch. For the most part." The redhead said playfully as she took off her guitar and placed it on a stand, Akko following suit before throwing her arms around Amanda, almost knocking the taller girl off her feet. The redhead chuckled and reciprocated the unexpected hug.

"Akko?" Amanda furrowed her brows after a moment as she felt wetness soaking through her shirt during the embrace. "Hey, what's going on?" She questioned in concern, letting go of the brunette and stepped back to look in Akko's eyes.

"I just…" The Japanese girl trailed off and looked around the girls who had now huddled around them. "I don't deserve you guys." She whispered with a sad smile before wiping her tears with the back of her hand and trained her eyes on the floor. "Not after what I did. I'm so sorry."

The band member's eyes darted between each other, not used to the usually overly confident girl breaking right in front of them. Lotte was the first to step forward and place her hand softly on Akko's quivering shoulder.

"Akko, we've all forgiven you for that."

"Yeah dummy, we wouldn't be here if we hadn't." Sucy chimed in, not able to quite hide her concern with her usual sarcastic nature.

"You've changed, Akko." Amanda said softly, bending over slightly in order to see Akko's face. "For the better. We've all seen it. What you're doing for Diana…" the redhead trailed off as moisture began to build in the corners of her own eyes, the emotion of seeing her friends like this finally overflowing, "it's amazing Akko. You deserve the world and I swear I'll slap you if I ever hear to talk about yourself like this again, okay?"

Akko sniffled before giggling and looking up at her friend with a grateful smile.

"Okay." She said horsley, nodding and wiping her eyes one last time. "Thank you, all of you. Your support really means the world to me." Akko again looked around the group, this time in much better spirits. The girls simply smiled back, knowing no more words were needed. They were together again and none of them could think of anywhere else they'd rather be.

"Hey, don't you have a session with Diana to get to?" Amanda asked with furrowed brows as she looked down at her watch.

"Oh shit." Akko gasped as she grabbed Amanda's arm, looking at the time for herself. "Shit shit shit." She chanted as she ran around gathering her things before running toward the exit. "Talk to you later I love you guuuuuys!" The brunette shouted before slamming into the large unmoving wooden door. She nearly fell over backward but was able to miraculously keep herself upright.

"Pull." Amanda shouted in amusement from across the bar, the others snickering around her.

"Right." Akko giggled nervously before pulling the door open quickly and exiting the establishment.

"You guys ever wonder how that idiot is our band leader?"

"Sucy!"

* * *

_Knock knock_

"Come in." Diana said absentmindedly as she stared at her computer screen which showed a blank document titled 'Song'. She had been doing this day after day for about a week now, trying and failing to come up with any lyrics for her duet with Akko. What could she possibly say? How could she possibly convey all of her feelings in a few sentences? If Akko had asked her to write a novel she could do that easily. A score for the song? No problem. But ask Diana Cavendish to come up with three of four sentences of lyrics and this is the result.

Nothing.

"You got a minute, Diana?"

Diana tore her eyes away from the computer and looked to the door to see Croix peeking her head in with her usual cool expression on her face. The blonde had noticed how that cool expression had changed since Diana had received her bad news. She could see the way people tried to cover up their concern and sadness when she was around. It was maddening.

"Of course, have a seat." Diana replied as she turned her chair away from her screen to face Croix, who had seated herself in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.

"I just have some paperwork for you to sign." the older woman said, getting straight to business as always as she passed the papers across the desk.

Diana reached out and took the papers before quickly glancing over them before her eyes traveled up to Croix again, the woman looking back at her curiously. After she stayed silent for a long moment, the blonde put the stack of papers down in front of her and leaned back in her chair, furrowing her brows as she entered a staring contest with the woman across from her.

"Was there anything else?"

"How are you feeling, Diana?" Croix asked after a moment of hesitation.

"I'm-"

"Don't say you're fine." The older woman interjected. Croix had known and worked with Diana for a very long time, and she had heard that phrase too many times to count.

Diana didn't look surprised at all to hear that from the woman. She knew she had a tendency to sweep her problems under the rug and refuse to show any sort of vulnerability. She figured most people didn't believe her when she said she _was fine_, but most weren't brave enough to question it. Croix, however, was her mentor, her friend, a lot like an older sister if Diana was being honest. She was cold and informal to everyone else, but she had always been warm and supportive toward the blonde, and she always knew when there was a problem.

"I'm...tired." Diana finally said quietly. "There's just a lot going on and I feel like I can't quite keep up anymore." She winced at that admission, looking down at her hands fiddling in her lap.

"Maybe you need to take a break for a while." Croix replied carefully, watching Diana carefully.

"And do what?" The blonde laughed bitterly.

"Live." The older woman said simply. "Look, Diana, I know how important this place is to you. We all understand that, but don't think I haven't seen how tired you've been, how weak you look walking down the hallway when you think no one is watching. You can't keep pretending to be fine, Diana." Croix's voice held a twinge of desperation now as she leaned forward in her chair. "Let us help you."

Diana refused to look up, her eyes still trained on her lap as she took in the older woman's words. People noticed all of those things? She thought she had played off the growing sickness pretty well, but it seemed that she had overestimated her acting skills. Had Akko noticed? If she had she never made it known out loud. Maybe Diana was in denial, thinking she could be the girl she was a year ago but she had to accept the fact that she would never be that girl again. It hurt, thinking about that fact.

"What do you suggest I do?" The blonde asked quietly, finally looking up into the older woman's concerned eyes. "This is all I know. What do I do?"

"Well," Croix sighed and sat back in her chair, "do whatever you want to do. Focus on your friends, on Akko. I know she's been doing a lot for you lately, why don't you do something for her."

Diana's eyes widened slightly at the comment, a sudden feeling of guilt filling her heart. Akko had done so much for her but what had Diana done for Akko? How could she have let herself become so selfish? She sat here at this desk every day doing work that no longer mattered to her, wasting the precious time she had left. And for what? Maybe it's about time she got her priorities straight, before it was too late to do so.

"You're right." Diana mumbled, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to the other woman in the room.

"What?" Croix furrowed her brows and leaned a little closer.

"You're right." The blonde spoke again, louder this time. "This company, this studio is my mother's legacy. I just...I wanted to hold on as long as I could. I wanted to leave something behind that she'd be proud of." Diana's voice cracked slightly before she turned away and willed herself not to tear up.

"Diana, your mother would have been so proud of everything you've done here, and the woman you've become. I hope you never think differently," Croix said with confidence before continuing, "and I am so proud of you, too, Diana."

"Croix Merides," The blonde turned back to the older woman after gaining her composure, "you're not going soft on me now, are you?" she asked with an amused smile, her mood lightening a bit.

Croix rolled her eyes but let a small smile show through as she stood up and picked up the newly signed papers off of Diana's desk.

"Let's keep that between us hm. I have a reputation to protect after all." The older woman said playfully before turning and walking to the door before disappearing into the hallway.

Diana laughed silently to herself before relaxing in her chair, her eyes glancing toward the ornate clock hanging on the wall above her desk which showed that she had about thirty minutes before Akko would arrive to work on their song. The blonde let out a drawn out sigh before she pulled out the notebook she'd designated for brainstorming and ideas for lyrics, unfortunately the notebook was still completely empty. Although she was always excited to see Akko, these sessions caused her some stress at the thought of telling the bruette that she yet again hadn't thought of anything. Diana placed the notebook down in front of her and just stared at the cover for a very long moment before letting out another sigh and closing her eyes, leaning her head back tiredly on the back of her chair.

"Alright Diana," she began to whisper to herself, "lyrics for Akko."

For Akko, a girl who was once one of the biggest musical names in the world now fallen from grace, a girl who doesn't seem to believe anymore she's the star that everyone else sees, the star that Diana sees every time she looks at the brunette. The girl she loved with all her heart. The beautiful, funny, fit, sexy, heavily tattooed, _HOT_ gi…

Diana opened her eyes immediately and shook her head.

"Well my mind is officially not on the song anymore." She spoke to herself with a bewildered chuckle, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"Oh? If I may ask, just where is your mind Miss Cavendish?"  
Diana jumped at the unexpected voice coming from the doorway before glancing up to find Akko smiling adoringly back at her with her arms folded and leaning against the doorframe.

"Akko," Diana said breathlessly as she held her hand over her heart. "You frightened me." The blonde began to chuckle before going silent and looking at the brunette suspiciously. "How long have you been standing there?"  
"Oh, not for long," Akko shrugged and walked fully into the blonde's office, sitting down in the chair across from Diana before a mischievous smile appeared. "But long enough to see you biting your lip like you do when you're turned o-"

"Akko!" Diana gasped as her eyes flitted to her wide open office door.

"What? They all know we're dating." Akko furrowed her brows and cocked her head, completely oblivious as to why the blonde was reacting that way.

"It's hardly appropriate to talk like that here, Akko."

The brunette pursed her lips, a contemplative look crossing her face for a moment before she nodded slowly and smiled a little too sweetly.

"You're absolutely right Diana."

Diana stared suspiciously back at her silent smiling girlfriend for what seemed like a long time before speaking hesitantly.

"Why do I get the feeling you're just saying that to placate me? You never give up that easily. What's your angle?"

"My dear Diana, I wholeheartedly agree that this is no place for that kind of talk." Akko stated exaggeratedly as she stood up and walked to the door, glancing over her shoulder to see the blonde watching her every move very closely. The brunette shut the door and locked it before turning around and sauntering back to the desk slowly with her hands clasped behind her back. She walked around Diana's desk and leaned over until her lips ghosted the blonde's ear, smiling at the noticeable shiver run down Diana's body before whispering, "So let's forget about talking hm?" Without waiting for a reply, Akko took the blonde's earlobe between her teeth and gently tugged, causing a low breathy moan to escape Diana's lips. Taking that as permission to move forward, the brunette smirked and began to kiss down the blonde's neck to her shoulder, pulling her shirt aside to reveal more incredibly soft skin.

Diana closed her eyes and tilted her head before reaching up and tangling her hair in silky brunette locks, lost in a haze of want and need. She felt Akko's hand running up her thigh, intaking a deep breath as the brunette's fingers grazed up her stomach en route to her chest. Before Akko could make it there, however, Diana's eyes shot open, finally remembering exactly where they were.

"Akko, wait." She practically gasped, clasping the brunette's wrist before it could move any further.

"Yeah?" Akko responded breathily, stopping her ministrations immediately.

"I...I don't know if I can do this here." Diana said hesitantly as she attempted to get her heart rate under control, worried that she'd just disappointed her girlfriend.

"Oh." The brunette responded simply as she pulled her hand away from under the blonde's chest.

"Akko I'm sor-" Diana began to say in a panic.

"No no! Nothing to apologize for, Diana." Akko stated quickly as she rounded the chair until she was directly in front of the blonde and smiled adoringly as she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Diana's lips before whispering, "Sometimes I just can't keep my hands off of you when I see you, when I know that the most beautiful girl in the world chose me, for reasons God only knows."

Diana's face was overcome with a deep blush before rolling her eyes and clearing her throat. Suddenly she pulled Akko into her lap, eliciting a surprised squeak from the brunette. The blonde put her arms around the girl sitting in her lap and sighed contentedly as she stared deeply into Akko's beautiful crimson eyes. Slowly she leaned forward and took Akko's lips in a deep kiss, her hands roaming up the length of the brunette's toned abs. Akko reciprocated, deepening the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Diana's neck and let out a throaty moan when the blonde's hands found their destination on her chest. The brunette arched into Diana's touch on instinct as her fingernail grazed up Diana's neck and into her hair when suddenly there came a knock at the office door. The two girls froze immediately at the noise, staring at each other with wide eyes, an unspoken agreement to stay silent and hope the person outside the door just goes away. Unfortunately for them the person knocked again, causing the girls to silently sigh together in frustration. After another long moment of silence, Diana and Akko thought they were now in the clear, the brunette leaning in to continue where they left off when they heard a key begin to turn the lock on the door and the doorknob turning. In a panic, Diana pulled away immediately and stood up, flinging her girlfriend off her lap to hit the floor in a painful heap.

"Gah!" Akko gasped as she hit the hard ground.

"Oh my God Akko I-""Oh, I'm sorry Diana I thought you were…." Hannah began to apologize until she saw a very odd scene unfolding, "...gone." She tilted her head as she took in the sight of Akko kneeling on the ground before her boss, both girl's hair in a mess as they both stared back at her with wide eyes. "Were you...um.."

"Did you need something, Hannah?" Diana said in a hurry, not letting Hannah finish that question and giving her a look that screamed 'do not ask'.

"Yes," the auburn haired girl answered slowly before tearing her eyes away from the odd scene and glancing down at the chair in front of Diana's desk that she'd occupied earlier that morning, seeing the tall water bottle she was looking for. "I just...left my water." Hannah said quickly as she crossed the small space, picking up the bottle and turning to leave immediately. "Studio A is free for your session." She called out over her shoulder as she exited the room, closing the door rather loudly as she went.

Diana let out an audible sigh as she stared at the door for a moment before looking down at the girl kneeling in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at Akko's expression, the brunette very clearly holding back her laughter with an amused twinkle in her eye.

"Don't say a word." The blonde warned, her tone as dangerous as she could make it whilst holding back her own amusement.

Akko held her hands up in surrender as she stood slowly, her smile growing the whole way up before reaching out and taking Diana's hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing it softly.

"Shall we go make some sweet music together my love?" The brunette asked cheekily with a smirk on her lips, eliciting an amused eye roll and a soft chuckle from the blonde for she started toward the door, leading Akko out of the office.

* * *

"Grr why isn't this working?" Akko groaned after an hour of attempting to come up with a tune for the lyrics she'd come up with, gently setting her guitar on the stand next to her and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Akko, I think it sounds lovely." Diana replied with an adoring smile, "I think you're being much too hard on yourself."

"I just...I just want it to be perfect. For you." The brunette let out a defeated sigh, picking up her notebook to look over the lyrics again.

Diana sat in silence for a moment, her heart breaking a bit looking at the defeated girl in front of her. Suddenly words began to flow through her mind as if some sort of switch had finally been turned on. The blonde grabbed her own notebook and began to write discreetly, her eyes flitting up every few seconds to make sure Akko was still occupied. When she was done she held the notebook out and re-read the lyrics she'd written, smiling proudly before remembering Akko sitting across from her in distress. She set her notebook down before she stood up and walked across the space between them. Reaching out, she took Akko's chin with her fingers and lifted it up gently until she could see those beautiful crimson eyes.

"The song will always be perfect to me regardless of what it sounds like. Because we're creating it together." Diana said softly, leaning down a bit more before she continued. "You are absolutely beautiful Akko. Inside and out. I know for a fact this song will mirror that. So please don't doubt yourself."

Akko looked deeply into the blonde's cerulean eyes, knowing every word coming out Diana's mouth was genuine, she truly believed it even if Akko herself didn't. The truth was, that Diana was the truly beautiful one. In every way. And she was right. Like always.

Akko took Diana's hand in her own and stood up, a loving smile on her face as she leaned in and planted the softest kiss on the blonde's lips.

"How are you so amazing? It should be illegal to be so damn perfect ya know." Akko whispered as she pressed her forehead against Diana's. The blonde only chuckled softly and closed her eyes, breathing a deep breath to take in this moment with her girlfriend. Small moments like these she treasured the most, she couldn't get enough.

"Hey, I have an idea." DIana murmured after a long moment of comfortable silence between them."

"Yeah? What's that?" Akko replied with a curious tilt of her head.

"Well, something on my list we haven't quite gotten around to…" She trailed off as she watched the brunette dig into her pocket for her wallet, pulling out a worn piece of paper. "What are you doing?"  
"Tattoo!" Akko shouted excitedly, causing Diana to jump slightly.

"Is that….you keep my list in your wallet?" The blonde asked in surprise.

"Heh. Yeah. So I can remember." Akko replied bashfully as she stuffed the paper back into her wallet.

"But...the list wasn't very long." Diana's eyebrows bunched up in confusion as she watched Akko's expression change from bashful to sly instantly.

"I added a few things." The brunette winked before she turned and started packing up her guitar.

"You...added things to _my_ bucket list?" Diana put her hand to her chest and gasped exaggeratedly.

Akko giggled at the blatant playful response as she picked up her guitar case and stood up. "Okay, I know a great tattoo parlor not too far from here. It'll take us about twenty minutes."

"Wait. Right now? You want to go right now?" Diana's eyes widened as Akko took her hand and began to lead her out of the room.

"Is that a problem? Since you brought it up I thought…" The brunette slowed to a stop, raising her eyebrows at the suddenly nervous looking blonde.

"D-don't you need an appointment or something?" Diana said as her palm was growing increasingly sweaty in Akko's hand.

"They accept walk-ins if it's not too busy."  
"Oh. Right." The blonde bit her lip and looked toward the door, her nervousness changing to determination after a battle within herself. "Okay. I'm ready."

* * *

"I'm not ready. I'm not." Diana paced outside the door of the tattoo parlor, Akko leaning against the glass watching her with an amused grin. "Who in their right mind would have a needle constantly stuck into them?! Why would anyone want to do this? Why would I want to do this?!" The blonde placed her hand on the glass and leaned over as if she might just pass out, breathing heavily and trying to calm herself.  
"I promise it's not as bad as you're making it out to be." Akko giggled as she walked over and began rubbing Diana's back comfortingly. She looked into the tattoo shop and waved happily at the familiar tattoo artist watching the spectacle in amusement, the woman waving back before going back to some paperwork at the front counter. Akko dropped her eyes back to her distressed girlfriend and patted her on the back light. "Hey, we don't have to do this if you don't want to. Just know that I'll be holding your hand the whole way through. I know you can do it. You're the strongest person I've ever met."

After hearing those words from Akko, Diana took one last deep breath before standing up straight. With a new found confidence, she nodded resolutely and began marching toward the door. The brunette shoulders shook in silent laughter as she followed behind, almost running into Diana as she hesitated in the doorway.

"You can do this." Akko whispered again, taking the blonde's hand and taking the lead as she gently pulled her girlfriend into the shop.

The woman at the counter looked up when the bell above the door rang, a warm smile appeared on her face as she stopped whatever she was doing and leaned her elbows on the counter.  
"Well if it isn't my favorite customer. Visiting me for once no less. I didn't know you were in town." The woman spoke with a smirk, her voice as smooth as velvet.

"Hey Woody. How's it hangin'?" Akko mirrored the smirk and winked at the woman, who in turn rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Still not tired of that joke?"

"Never." The brunette giggled and nudged Diana, who seemed to be frozen in place. "This is my girlfriend Diana. And she's very excited to get her first tattoo."

"I can see that." The woman said with her eyebrows raised and a twinge of a smile on her lips. "Diana Cavendish. In my tattoo shop. What would your mother think?"

"What?!" Diana was finally shook out of her trance at the mention of her mother.

The woman laughed at the reaction before her smile turned warm once more.

"I knew your mother long ago. We were good friends at the academy. In fact, she was my very first customer when I opened this shop."

"My...my mother had a tattoo?" Diana asked in shock, not believing her mother would have done something like get a tattoo.

"Yes. One...or three." The woman tapped her chin for a moment.

"Three?!" Diana shrieked.  
"Anyway, you can call me Woodward." Woodward held out her hand for Diana to shake.

"Woody." Akko whispered loudly into the blonde's ear.  
"Woodward." The woman said again, through her teeth this time, with a playful glare in Akko's direction.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Diana replied, finally shaking off her nerves and relaxing a bit.

"The pleasure is all mine Diana." Woodwood replied before glancing over to Akko. "You that Akko? That's called manners."

"Cool story Woodward." The brunette said cheekily, making the woman chuckle and sigh.

"Follow me ladies." The woman moved around the counter and headed toward a small hallway leading toward the back of the shop.

Diana was finally able to get a good look at Woodward, just now noticing the tattoos covering the woman's arms. Elaborate vines and trees running up her forearms and underneath the t-shirt she was wearing. Diana thought it was a strange choice for tattoos but she could definitely appreciate the beautiful artwork. The woman herself was gorgeous, her teal hair flowing of its own volition behind her as she walked. Her pale skin was impeccable, causing the various shades of green ink on her arms to pop even more, almost as if it was glowing.

"We'll be right in here." Woodward slowed to a stop and gestured toward a room with a table and a few chairs.

Diana took another deep breath and walked past the woman into the room, taking one of the spare chairs, Akko sitting beside her still clasping the blonde's hand.

"Alright Diana, what kind of tattoo are you thinking of getting? Do you have an idea? And where do you want it?" Woodward inquired as she pulled out a notebook and sharpened pencil.

Both Woodward and Akko looked at Diana expectantly, the latter looking a little concerned. They hadn't talked about what the blonde would get. The brunette hoped she hadn't rushed Diana too much, bringing her here without an idea of what she wanted.

"Yes. I have an idea." Diana replied more confidently than the other two women in the room expected. "I want an infinity symbol, with music notes embedded in it. Also the word love...if that's possible. And I want it...on the inside of my forearm, so I can look at it whenever I want."

Woodward tapped her chin and nodded as she listened before immediately beginning to sketch, the pencil lead moving elegantly across the white surface of the drawing pad.

"You doin' okay?" Akko whispered to her girlfriend so seemed mesmerized by watching the woman bring her idea to life.

"Yes, thank you, Akko." Diana replied, turning her head with a smile and a squeeze of her hand.

The room was silent for a few minutes other than the soft music filling the space from the speaker in the corner, neither Akko or Diana wanting to distract Woodward from her art. Finally the woman held up the notebook, showing Diana her vision of what she's described. It was more beautiful than the blonde could have imagined. It was as if Woodward had pulled a bar of music right off the page of one of her music books and twisted it up into an infinity sign, and the word love in elegant cursive embedded in the bottom.

"Wow." Akko was the first to speak, just as surprised at the outcome as her girlfriend.

"It's perfect." Diana exclaimed with a bright smile, causing the tattoo artist to smile just as bright back at her.

"Alright! Bring your chair over and set your arm on the table! Only black ink I assume?" The woman asked as she rolled her chair back to the tray that was set up toward the top of the table."

"Yes. Just black." Diana replied nervously as she did what she was told, Akko moving her own chair to sit next to Diana at the top of the table.

Woodward cleaned the blonde's skin before pulling out a marker and drawing a rough sketch onto the skin of Diana's forearm. She then picked up the tattoo gun and installed the new needle.

"You ready?" The woman asked with an excited smile as she dipped the needle into the ink.

"Yes. I'm ready." The blonde answered shakily, but there was a hint of excitement in her words. Diana squeezed Akko's hand a little tighter as the needle drew closer to her skin, tightening even more when the gun began to push the ink into her arm. Akko's eyes grew wide at the amount of pressure on her hand, not knowing just how strong Diana was until now. She clenched her jaw and tried to remain as calm as she could for her girlfriend's sake, though she hoped she'd be able to play her guitar after this with a non broken hand.

"So Diana, does this tattoo have any meaning?" Woodward asked absentmindedly as she worked, skillfully drawing perfect lines and swoops as she talked.

"Yes." The blonde answered through gritted teeth. "It...signifies the three loves of my life, and that they'll be with me forever. My mother, my music, and Akko." As she said Akko's name she looked over to gauge the brunette's reaction, elated to see her girlfriend look back at her with so much love and adoration. Honestly the look Akko was giving her made her heart flutter.

"How are you even real?" The brunette asked with a laugh, forgetting about the pain in her hand. "You're amazing Diana Cavendish." She whispered before leaning in to kiss her girlfriend.

"No kissing while I'm tattooing please." Woodward asked, her voice almost a growl, causing Akko to back away immediately.

"Heh. Sorry." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand bashfully.

Woodward let a slight smile show through as she continued, working surprisingly quickly.

The girls were quiet for the rest of the session, watching and admiring the work the artist was doing before she finally set her gun down and inspected it one last time.

"Alright! You're done!" Woodward said proudly, wiping off the excess ink from Diana's arm.

"Really?" The blonde asked with an excited smile. " That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

"Diana?" Akko whispered.

"Yes?"

"You can let go of my hand now."

"Oh. Oh I'm sorry, Akko." Diana let go of the brunette's hand with an apologetic smile.

"No no, it's fine." Akko laughed nervously as she shook out her sore hand discreetly.

Diana held up her arm to finally inspect her first tattoo, absolutely blown away with how beautiful it was. Music, love, infinity. It pretty much summed up her life as of late. Her love for Akko, for her mother, and for her music would stay with her beyond her death. To infinity. She could only hope Akko felt the same way. That she'd always have a place in the brunette's heart after Diana was gone. Until they meet again in the afterlife.

"Woody, you got time for another?"

Diana snapped out of her trance and turned toward Akko in surprise.

"Yeah." Woodward replied after a long sigh and a chuckle. "What do you want?"

"Same as Diana."

Diana beamed the brunette, who smiled lovingly back at her.

"To infinity." Akko whispered as she nudged the blonde.

"To infinity."


End file.
